MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will not do anything but just visit her if ever former first lady and current Ilocos Norte representative Imelda Marcos gets arrested and detained, Malacañang said.
Duterte will not interfere if the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division releases a warrant of arrest against the 89-year-old widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos for graft, said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.
“He will not interfere. This is a different kind of President. He does not interfere when it comes to cases like that,” Panelo told a press briefing on Thursday. “Let the courts decide because, first of all, it is not yet final.”
Panelo allayed fears of human rights groups, martial law victims and critics that Duterte will eventually pardon Imelda Marcos, considering the closeness of the two.
“You know, the closeness they are talking about is only perceived. From how I know the President, he is not affected by closeness,” the presidential spokesman said.
“I mean, kaibigan ka niya, ’pag may kailangan ka, tutulungan ka niya, pero hanggang doon na lang iyon,” he added. “Halimbawa, nakulong ka, bibisitahin kita, parang ganoon. Galit siya sa mga nagva-violate ng law.”
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division found Imelda Marcos guilty of seven counts of graft over her alleged management of foundations in Switzerland that were supposedly created for the benefit of her family.
But the anti-graft court has deferred issuing any arrest warrant as of Thursday due to the latter’s pending plea for its consent to her pursuit of an appeal.
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said the court’s Fifth Division would first hold on Nov. 16 a hearing on Imelda Marcos’ motion for leave of court to avail herself of post-conviction remedies./PN
