MANILA – Malacañang said presidential sister and senator Imee Marcos must be balanced in her handling of the Senate inquiry on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte last week.
According to Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro, it was noticeable during the hearing that some of the resource persons were being cut while answering questions.
“’Yung nakita natin sa hearing halos hindi makapagsalita ‘yung ating mga opisyal, natatabunan ng mga kuwento nila Senator Imee. Sana maging balance lang po sana,” Castro said.
However, the Palace still thanked Marcos for initiating the inquiry as it helped clarify legal matters for the public.
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo na nagkaroon po ng Senate hearing patungkol dito. Mas naliwanagan ang taumbayan kung ano ba ang nangyari,” Castro said.
The hearing, led by Marcos, aimed to clarify the roles of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), and various government agencies in Duterte’s arrest.
The hearing also sought to confirm that Duterte’s rights under domestic laws and treaties were protected and to examine coordination between Philippine authorities and international law enforcement.
During the hearing, Marcos quizzed Department of Justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Jonvic Remulla, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Department of National Defense secretary Gibo Teodoro, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group head Nicolas Torre III, and Philippine National Police chief Rommel Marbil with the way they handled Duterte’s arrest.
Duterte was taken into custody on March 11 upon his return from a trip to Hong Kong, amid speculation regarding the issuance of an ICC warrant for his arrest.
The warrant issued by the ICC alleges that during his presidency, Duterte established, financed, and equipped death squads responsible for the killings of alleged drug users and dealers.
On the same day, the former President was transported to The Hague in the Netherlands to confront accusations of crimes against humanity related to his controversial anti-drug campaign.
On March 14, Duterte participated in a hearing via video link before ICC judges, which the Palace described as a “fair trial”. He is scheduled to appear at a hearing on September 23 to address the charges brought against him./PN
