Remulla slams ‘bullying’ at Duterte arrest probe, confronts senators

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla | PHOTO: Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confronted senators during the probe into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, saying they were allegedly trying to make resource persons “admit something that they will not admit.”

Tensions flared at the Senate panel on foreign relations’ third hearing on Duterte’s arrest after senators asked who among government officials ordered Duterte to board the chartered plane that flew him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

READ: From ‘tokhang’ to The Hague: Duterte handed over to ICC

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa grilled Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Executive Director Anthony Alcantara.

“Hindi ka nagbigay ng order kay General [Rommel] Marbil na isakay siya (Duterte) sa eroplano?” Dela Rosa asked Alcantara.

(You did not order General Rommel Marbil to have Duterte board the plane?)

Alcantara said he was not the right person to order such.

“Categorically, did you or did you not give the order to General Marbil?” Dela Rosa again asked, to which Alcantara said “no.”

At this point, Dela Rosa faced Marbil and asked him if he was lying during the hearing.

“I’m not lying, but I just want to have executive privilege regarding this matter,” Marbil said.

This, however, did not sit well with Dela Rosa and Sen. Imee Marcos, who both fumed over his statement.

“Nandito na tayo eh. Executive privilege ka dyan,” Dela Rosa said.

(We are already here. What executive privilege.)

Marcos then asked Marbil why he had suddenly invoked executive privilege.

Dela Rosa pointed out that prior to the conversation, Marbil already stated that it was the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime that ordered Duterte to board the chartered plane last March 11.

“Kung sinu-sino na ang itinuro mo ngayon mag e-executive privilege ka,” Marcos said.

(You already pointed your finger to people, and now you’re going to invoke executive privilege.)

Marbil did not answer.

Remulla suddenly blurted out his thoughts. He said this was one of the reasons why Cabinet members and other government officials snubbed the panel’s previous hearing.

“That’s why we didn’t want to attend the last hearing because this is what we were expecting. We didn’t want to be bullied into a position,” Remulla told Marcos and Dela Rosa.

“I think you are trying to make people admit something that they will not admit. An executive privilege is a valid excuse not to answer any question,” he added.

Dela Rosa and Marcos argued that they were not bullying the resource persons, adding that they only wanted to understand “every step of the way” and discover “the truth.”

Remulla did not budge. He said, “Everything is cleared with the Department of Justice (DOJ).”

“That’s why if you’re trying to make a person admit something that should not be admitted, it means that there is something more to it. The clearance given by the DOJ was probably the most important part of it — to serve the warrant of arrest and to surrender the person under the law,” he added.