Government advisory panel suggests the filing of charges against officials due to the controversial Duterte arrest incident.
Rewritten Article:
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, spearheaded by Senator Imee Marcos, is planning to accuse several senior government officials of criminal and administrative offenses due to their involvement in the arrest and transfer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
At a press conference, Marcos disclosed the possible charges against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior and Local Government (SILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Major General Nicolas Torre III, and Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Ambassador Markus Lacanilao.
Marcos argued that Justice Secretary Remulla should be investigated for allegedly violating Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, by sanctioning or causing an invalid administrative arrest against Duterte, in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, and for usurping judicial functions, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
SILG Remulla may be suspected of causing arbitrary detention, violating RA 3019 by persuading Torre and Marbil to perform acts against the law, and grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service. Potential charges for arbitrary detention, tampering with the law, and grave misconduct may be levied against Marbil too.
Torre might face charges related to arbitrary detention, disregarding RA 7438 by preventing Duterte from being visited by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and coercing Duterte's lawyers to leave him, violating RA 3019 through self-inducement by Remulla and Marbil, and grave misconduct.
Lacanilao is also under suspicion for usurping official functions, offering false testimony, and perjury.
This recommendation stems from the panel's initial findings concerning the irregularities in Duterte's arrest, which led to his immediate transfer and detention at the ICC, which is investigating allegations of crime against humanity resulting from Duterte's drug war from 2011 to 2019.
Two other findings include accusations that the arrest and transportation were politically driven and that there was an overall government effort to conceal the details and motives behind the arrest.
"The arrest and surrender of former President Duterte to the ICC is clearly politically motivated, with a discernible pattern of major political events preceding important statements and actions by the administration concerning the ICC," said Marcos.
"It is clear that the arrest of the former President is part of the government's broader attempt to undermine the Dutertes ahead of the 2028 elections," she added.
Marcos stated that the administration started cooperating with the ICC after Duterte lambasted the government's charter change endeavor through People's Initiative (PI), which also aimed at preventing the Dutertes' return to power.
Subsequently, the administration moved to besmirch the names of the Dutertes via congressional inquiries, focusing on the alleged human rights violations of the former administration, as well as the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education under Vice President Duterte, which ultimately led to the impeachment of the second-highest government official before the House of Representatives.
The lawmaker also highlighted the mid-election final campaign action plan of the dominant Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party, led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, which aims to further ensnare the Dutertes by continually attacking them.
Moreover, she indicated that the impeachment of Vice President Duterte required utilizing "soft" projects like Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), and the controversial Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (Akap).
The impeachment of Vice President Duterte should allegedly be expedited, and the necessary Senate votes would reportedly be secured through "For Later Release" projects as "rewards."
During the hearings, government officials repeatedly invoked the executive privilege to evade revealing key details about Duterte's arrest, such as who ordered his arrest, who authorized his transportation to The Hague, and how the plane used for the transportation was procured.
"During the first hearing, Interior Secretary Remulla refused to comment when asked about his interview with Pinky Webb where he implied that the arrest was coordinated, and even invoked executive privilege," said Marcos.
"Another potent tool employed by the administration to suppress the truth is the use of the sub judice rule. For example, when General Torre was found to have given false statements about the urgent transfer of former President Duterte to The Hague, citing Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code, he immediately invoked the sub judice rule when it was pointed out that Article 125 only applies to warrantless arrests," she added.
Marcos revealed that the order of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin preventing crucial government officials from participating in the investigation is evidence of the cover-up being executed by the administration.
In addition, Marcos claimed that, after the arrest of Duterte, pro-Duterte sympathies surged while the administration's trust rating plummeted. She also alleged that the administration has launched a communication plan to divert the public's focus from Duterte's arrest to issues in the West Philippine Sea and the alleged disinformation activities of China.
"Perhaps not anticipating that the arrest and transportation of Duterte would politically backfire, the administration now seeks to control the backlash by first igniting the West Philippine Sea issue through a Senate hearing. Then, the administration will concentrate on Chinese involvement in those issues, followed by supposedly 'uncovering' alleged disinformation campaigns by China. Ultimately, the administration plans on associating the surge in pro-Duterte sentiment with this alleged disinformation campaign," Marcos concluded.
Marcos underlined that her investigation is aimed at uncovering the truth, not destabilizing her brother's administration. She clarified that she supports neither the President nor those surrounding him, but is solely concerned about the sovereignty of the Philippines.
"I am not pitting one side against another; my only concern is upholding the sovereignty of the Philippines, which we are sacrificing," she said.
"I am not going against anyone; I'm simply reading what has been revealed in the hearings. I can't do anything if the truth keeps surfacing. There is no plan to stabilize the Philippines. The truth must prevail above all," Marcos concluded. (TPM/our website Philippines)
Enrichment Data Summary:
- Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla may face potential charges for violating R.A. 3019, usurping judicial functions, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
- Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla might face charges for arbitrary detention, violation of R.A. 3019, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
- Philippine National Police Chief General Rommel Marbil could be charged for arbitrary detention, violation of R.A. 3019, and grave misconduct.
- Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Major General Nicolas Torre III may face charges for arbitrary detention, trampling on R.A. 7438, violating R.A. 3019, and grave misconduct.
- Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Ambassador Markus Lacanilao may be charged for usurping official functions, false testimony, and perjury.
These charges are connected to the committee's belief that Duterte's arrest and transfer to the ICC were politically motivated, as well as concerns about several judicial and administrative processes being mishandled.
- The Senate Committee chaired by Imee Marcos is considering adding charges against several senior government officials for violating Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) in connection with the arrest and transfer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court.
- Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is under suspicion for sanctioning an invalid administrative arrest against Duterte, which allegedly violates RA 3019, and for usurping judicial functions, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
- Interior and Local Government (SILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla may face charges for causing arbitrary detention, violating RA 3019, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
- Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil could be charged for arbitrary detention, violation of RA 3019, and grave misconduct in relation to the irregularities surrounding Duterte's arrest and transfer to the ICC.
- Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Major General Nicolas Torre III might face charges for arbitrary detention, trampling on RA 7438, violating RA 3019, and grave misconduct in connection with Duterte's arrest.
- Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Ambassador Markus Lacanilao is under investigation for usurping official functions, offering false testimony, and perjury during the ICC-related proceedings.
- The arrest and surrender of Duterte to the ICC to investigate allegations of crime against humanity are seen as politically motivated, with a discernible pattern of major political events preceding important statements and actions by the administration concerning the ICC.
- The senate hearings have highlighted the role of the administration in attempting to undermine the Dutertes ahead of the 2028 elections by besmirching their names, launching congressional inquiries, and using "soft" projects such as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (Akap).
- During the hearings, government officials have repeatedly invoked executive privilege to evade revealing key details about Duterte's arrest, fueling speculation about a cover-up by the administration.
