Sen. Imee Marcos. Photo: Senate/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines – After releasing the preliminary findings the Senate committee on foreign affairs, Sen. Imee Marcos clarified that she did not intend for the results of the inquiry to be “anti-administration.” 

“Hindi ko naman intensyon na anti-administration ‘yung hearing,” she said in a press briefing Thursday. 

“As a matter of fact kung maalala ninyo halos lahat ng testigo galing gobyerno. Hindi ko naman alam ‘yung mga sagot nila kaya nga ako nagtatanong kasi hindi ko alam yung sagot eh malay ko ba kung anong sasagutin nila,” she said. 

The re-electionist senator, eldest sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had been critical of many of the administration’s moves in the past months. 

On March 20, she conducted a Senate hearing inviting all key government officials involved in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte to find out if certain illegalities and uncontitutionalities were committed during the surrender of the ex-state chief to the International Criminal Court. 

The preliminary investigation arrived at three findings: 

1. The Philippines had no legal obligation to arrest former president Rodrigo Duterte and turn him to the International Criminal Court. 
2. The Philippine government decided to assist the ICC to arrest the former president. 
3. There were glaring violations of the rights of the former president.

The lawmaker said there is no finality yet whether she would call for a second hearing. 

The older Marcos admitted that she has not been in talking terms with brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. After the hearing, which had government executives floundering with conflicting answers, her name was no longer mentioned by the president in sorties and rallies. 

“Eh nung hindi sila magkasundo at hindi tumutugma ‘yung mga sagot nila, nung hindi maganda yung itsura ng pamahalaan nagalit yata sa akin na nabunyag ‘yung sa akin hearing,” she said. 

On Wednesday, Imee released an official statement of withdrawal from the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial ticket. 

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