Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao now in Senate custody. Photo: Senate of the Philippines / Facebook 

MANILA, Philippines – Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao is now under Senate custody after failing to give satisfactory explanation as to why his answers in the last hearing were not evasive. 

In a statement, Senate Spokesperson, lawyer Arnel Jose Bañas, said the ambassador turned himself in on Monday, April 21, to comply with the order issued by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. 

“Ambassador Lacanilao voluntarily presented himself before the Senate to personally receive and comply with the order… He shall remain in the custody of the Senate for a period not exceeding two (2) days,” Bañas said. 

Photo: Senate of the Philippines / Facebook 

Lacanilao was cited in contempt in the April 10 hearing of the foreign relations committee chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos for repeatedly answering that he did not know the former President Rodrigo Duterte was not brought to a local court, a requirement enshrined in the Rome Statute, before being transported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters at the Hague, Netherlands. 

Lacanilao was the Palace official who accompanied the former president to The Hague. He was present during the entire arrest from Duterte’s arrival in Manila all the way to his turnover to the ICC because he was tasked to “oversee” the operation. 

Despite his oversight function, Lacanilao answered “do not know” in the ICC turnover form that asked if the subject of the arrest warrant was brought to a competent national judicial authority before being transported to the foreign tribunal. 

This response elicited shivering responses from Duterte allies Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Marcos who grilled Lacanilao for not knowing there was no local court intervention despite being on the ground to oversee what’s happening. 

Dela Rosa moved to cite Lacanilao in contempt which was approved by Marcos. The ambassador however was freed shortly after when Escudero ordered his release and instead issued a show cause order to be fulfilled within five days mandating Lacanilao to explain why he should not be sanctioned. 

Lacanilao replied to the show cause order on April 15 however his explanation did not satisfy Escudero. 

“After careful evaluation, the Senate President ordered Ambassador Lacanilao placed under Senate custody, after having failed to satisfactorily explain, through a clear statement of facts, why his answers during the hearing were not evasive,”  Bañas said. 

Lacanilao is expected “to appear in future hearings and to provide truthful answers to all questions posed during such proceedings.”