Sen. Imee Marcos Files Senate Resolution over Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s Arrest
IMEE MARCOS – The presidential sister and Senator urged the department of President Bongbong Marcos to reveal all the details regarding the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Six (6) Filipino lawyers were added to the legal team of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte before the confirmation of charges hearing for the case filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC). One of them is his former presidential legal counsel, Atty. Salvador Panelo.
Atty. Salvador Panelo claimed that the Philippine government can allegedly take the custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte back if it wants to. The lawyer also claimed that it can allegedly be done right away but the government supposedly does not want it.
Panelo even cited that the Philippine government was able to take the custody of former Negros Oriental Congressman Arnie Teves although the government lost in its appeal to the court of Timor-Leste. Aside from Panelo, former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea also joined the ICC legal team of the former President.
Today marks a year since former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was arrested by the Philippine authorities who assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong.
The arrest and the transfer of custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte caused political turmoil in the Philippine government. Pres. Bongbong Marcos and his administration were greatly criticized over the unexpected turn of events. The Palace claimed that the government acted on the arrest in lieu of its commitment with the Interpol.
Amid the issue, presidential sister and Sen. Imee Marcos aligned herself with the Dutertes. Amid the campaign season then, Senator Imee even left the senatorial slate of Pres. Bongbong Marcos and she was campaigned by Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
Recently, in time for the first year anniversary of the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Sen. Imee Marcos filed a Senate resolution urging the department of Pres. Bongbong Marcos to reveal all details regarding the arrest and the transfer of the custody of the former President.
The move of Sen. Imee Marcos came amid the Malacañang, based on a report on PhilStar, saying that Pres. Bongbong Marcos is still uninterested on PH rejoining the ICC. The presidential Sister filed the Senate Resolution No. 340.
Senator Imee stressed in the resolution that a year has a passed since “the Executive Department carried out the extraordinary rendition of FPRRD”. According to her, there is allegedly a continuing violation by depriving one’s liberty for as long as no valid legal and judicial basis were cited.
“Yet, to this day, the Government has failed to provide accountability or meaningful redress for the ongoing impairment of FPRRD’s constitutional and statutory rights,” Marcos said.
Sen. Imee Marcos stressed that the government officials allegedly have conflicting statements over the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. She claimed that the alleged lack of transparency of the government is supposedly a threat.
“The Executive Department’s persistent lack of transparency, its grave violations of the Bill of Rights, and its circumvention of the Philippine judicial system now give rise to serious and imminent concerns that similar actions may again be undertaken against the political opponents of the administration and retired police officials—thereby threatening to normalize the erosion of constitutional safeguard and the rule of law,” the Senator added.
Recently, following the confirmation of charges hearing, the ICC upheld the detention of Duterte and it rejected all the arguments of the defense team of the former President.
