Who’s responsible for Duterte’s arrest? Sen. Marcos says she’ll find out

Sen. Imee Marcos during one of the Senate hearings. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on foreign relations is keen on identifying who should be held responsible for the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

On Thursday, panel head Sen. Imee Marcos said people had been asking her who should be held accountable for the incident, but she noted that her committee is still trying to find out. 

“Yun nga ang tinatanong ng lahat. Sino raw ang kakasuhan at ‘yun pa ang inaalam natin. Kaya nga maraming nagsasasabi bitin — dapat magkaroon ng second hearing. Sabi ko basta maka produce tayo ng mga testigo,” said Marcos.

(That’s what people had been asking. Who should be held accountable? We are still finding it out. That’s why many people are saying that there should be a second hearing, and I told them that we need to produce witnesses.) 

“Kasi kung di naman malaman at makatotohanan, ano namang pag uusapan natin? Maraming lihim ang maliwanag ay malabo. Yun ang napakaliwanag sa lahat ng ito —- maraming ikinukubli, maraming pinagtatakpan, maraming hindi ito, at marami tayong dapat siyasatin,” she added. 

 (What would we talk about if it’s not truthful and realistic? There are so many secrets. It’s very clear that there are things being hidden and there are many things we need to investigate.)

Asked if those who should be held accountable are at Cabinet levels, the senator and presidential sister said they have yet to categorically identify such because there are still many loose ends surrounding the matter. 

The senator previously launched a probe into Duterte’s arrest.

She said preliminary findings following the probe showed that there were actions taken by the administration  — which her younger brother heads — that run counter to her ideals and principles. 

“Over and above political advantage, the sovereignty of the country and the interest of true justice for every Filipino must remain paramount,” she emphasized. 

The senator then pointed out that the repeated invocation of executive privilege and sub judice rule during the hearing held on March 20 showed the government witnesses appeared to be hiding essential facts. 

“Beyond their constant narrative that the Philippines was simply complying with its international commitments, a deliberate effort to obscure the truth only gave rise to ever greater suspicion that the Constitution may have been disregarded and our sovereignty diminished by the arrest of Duterte, she said.