Sen. Imee Marcos —File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos, a presidential sister, is calling for an urgent Senate investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Days after Duterte’s arrest, Marcos issued a statement saying that it is vital to establish whether due process was followed during the former president’s arrest, given the involvement of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“As chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations, I am calling for an urgent investigation into the arrest of former President Duterte, an issue that has deeply divided the nation,” said Marcos in a statement on Monday.
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Marcos said she would invite key officials of the following agencies in the scheduled public hearing: Philippine National Police, Office for Transportation Security-Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, National Security Council, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
“The Senate must address these critical concerns to uphold the country’s jurisdiction and to clarify policies governing our law enforcement agencies and their engagement with international tribunals,” said Marcos.
“Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount,” she emphasized.
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Duterte was arrested on March 11 by the power of an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.
The warrant was based on the grounds of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration when he waged war against illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier brushed off claims that Duterte’s arrest was political persecution.
According to the president, the government only complied with Interpol, to which it has a commitment.
He also emphasized that his administration did not cooperate with the ICC regarding Duterte’s case.
The president earlier made a public declaration that his administration will not lift a finger to help the international tribunal.
“We are not communicating with the ICC. They have requested many documents from us, but we did not provide anything. However, we cannot refuse Interpol when they ask for our help in apprehending this person,” he said then.