Cabinet members snub Senate hearing on Duterte’s arrest
Sen. Imee Marcos (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Cabinet members snubbed the Senate panel on foreign relations’ invitation to attend its second public hearing on the controversial arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, staying committed to the Palace’s earlier decision to decline the invitation, citing executive privilege and the sub judice rule.
The Senate panel on foreign relations, presided over by presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos, began its second hearing past 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Only three resource persons, all lawyers, attended the public inquiry:
- Securities and Exchange Commission chief counsel RJ Bernal
- SEC supervising securities review counsel Ferdino Logie Santiago
- Alexis Medina
Also present during the hearing are Duterte allies Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go and Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who made his first public appearance in the Senate after former President Duterte’s arrest on March 11.
Meanwhile, according to Sen. Marcos’ office, officials of the National Security Council, Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes, and Department of the Interior and Local Government confirmed their attendance at the hearing on April 2.
But they later withdrew their confirmation after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin categorically stated that the Palace had thumbed down the panel’s request for Cabinet members’ attendance.
