Senator Imee Marcos has called for an urgent Senate investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte to establish if due process was followed during his arrest on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement on Monday, March 17, Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations said that it’s “imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that Duterte’s legal rights were not just upheld but protected, especially given the involvement of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
“To shed light on this matter, I am inviting key officials and agencies, including officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of Transportation Security-Department of Transportation (OTS-DOTr), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Security Council (NSC), and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and other resource persons and witnesses,” she said.
She added that the Senate must address these critical concerns to uphold the country’s jurisdiction and to clarify policies governing local law enforcement agencies and their engagement with international tribunals.
“Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount,” she said.
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, March 11, after Interpol received an arrest warrant from the ICC.
The former president was flown by a private plane from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to The Hague in the Netherlands, where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
Duterte attended the ICC pre-trial hearing via video link. He appeared seemingly frail, wearing a blue suit, and was asked to confirm his identity. He was also made aware of his rights, which include the possibility of applying for interim release pending trial.
ICC Pre-trial Chamber I has set the hearing for Duterte’s confirmation of charges on Sept. 23, six months after his arrest.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said it respects the decision of the Senate if it would pursue the investigation.
In a press briefing on Monday, March 17, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the presidential sister was welcome to proceed with her investigation and even expressed the government’s openness to cooperate if need be.
“Kung yan po ang nais ni Senadora, she’s free to do that,” she said.
Asked if they were confident that they could satisfy Senator Marcos’ queries, Castro reiterated that what the government did was legal.
“We just complied with all the requirements— with the law regarding the arrest of former president Duterte,” she said. (Dhel Nazario, Argyll Geducos)
