MANILA – National Security Adviser Eduardo Año denied he played a huge role in the arrest operation against his former boss, former president Rodrigo Duterte, last week.
Speaking during the Senate committee on foreign relations hearing on Thursday, Año said it was also difficult for him to see the former Chief Executive getting arrested.
Año added that his role in the arrest Duterte was only limited to “assessing that the situation does not escalate into a national security concern”, contrary to what Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Jonvic Remulla had said.
“The implementation of the ICC warrant is beyond my mandate and I have no part in it. And may I also state for the record that I am not aware of any core group, nor am I a member of such group that allegedly planned and prepared for the arrest of former President Duterte,” Año said.
“It is utterly unacceptable and unfair that my name is being dragged into an alleged grand conspiracy. I firmly deny any allegations of a grand conspiracy. In fact, the events on March 11 were spontaneous,” he added.
Año served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and later on the Secretary of Interior and Local Government during the Duterte administration.
Remulla, in an interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel’s On Point program last week, said Año played a key role in Duterte’s arrest by sharing the intelligence information he gathered regarding the former President.
Remulla said Año was part of the core group that planned the arrest of Duterte. Other members of the group, he said, were him, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
“I think he still shares some affection for the former President. They had a very good working relationship, but he is a professional, he is a soldier, and he is a gentleman, so he served his role, and the information that he gathered and shared were very reliable,” Remulla said.
“Such as, the conversations on whether or not they would go home. I think the lawyers were prevailing for him to stay in Hong Kong or in China, and the children prevailed for him to go home,” he added. “Parang ganun ang lumalabas (based) sa mga sources.”/PN
