Sen. Marcos hits Escudero over contempt order vs special envoy

Sen. Imee Marcos —Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos criticized Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday for supposedly subverting her contempt order against a special envoy who was accused of lying during the Senate hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague.

Marcos also assailed Escudero’s decision to limit to just two days the detention of Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao, who surrendered to the Office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms on Monday.

READ: Ambassador Lacanilao in Senate custody

Escudero had signed an arrest order against Lacanilao, upholding the contempt citation that Marcos issued against him for claiming during the April 10 hearing of the Senate committee on foreign affairs that he was unaware if Duterte was taken to a local court before he was handed over to the Interpol.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate panel, has questioned the legality of the former leader’s arrest based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. —Marlon Ramos