Duterte ICC arrest: Palace refutes Senate panel’s claim of gov’t lapses
Claire Castro. Screengrab from RTVM/FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — A Palace official disputed a Senate panel’s initial findings that the government committed “glaring lapses” in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, reiterating that it merely complied with its obligations to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
At a briefing on Thursday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked to comment on the preliminary findings by the Senate panel on foreign relations regarding Duterte’s arrest, saying there were discrepancies in the circumstances surrounding the event.
Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the committee, claimed the findings showed that the government had no obligation to arrest Duterte or surrender him to an international court.
READ: Duterte ICC arrest: Imee says Senate panel found ‘glaring lapses’
She further alleged that her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., categorically decided to assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the arrest.
But during the briefing, Castro appeared to challenge the findings presented by Sen. Marcos.
“That will be her opinion if the people she spoke with are Duterte supporters. But if we look at other experts like Justice Carpio, Atty. Butuyan, and others who discuss our law, RA [Republic Act] 9851, her perspective on the issue would change,” she said.
“We have no legal obligation, but we do have a law under RA 9851 that mentions a prerogative to cooperate with Interpol. Still, we have a commitment to Interpol. But again, the government is simply following RA 9851,” she continued.
RA 9851 — the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity — defines and penalizes serious crimes.
READ: Marcos: Arrest of Duterte not ‘political persecution’
Meanwhile, pressed whether the alleged rift between Sen. Marcos and the president was fueled by her role in leading the Senate probe, Castro said she had not heard any comment from the president on the matter.
In an address following Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, last March 11, Pres. Marcos already said the development was not political persecution but rather a matter of compliance with Interpol.
