Sen. Imee Marcos. Photo: Senate of the Philippines / Facebook
MANILA, Philippine – Sen. Imee Marcos wants the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the key government officials involved in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
On Tuesday, the reelectionist senator delivered what she called “further findings” of the probe of her foreign affairs committee investigating the arrest.
Such officials, she said, could be liable for graft, grave misconduct, usurpation of judicial functions and arbitrary detention among others, for apprehending and surrendering the former president to the International Criminal Court (ICC) noting that there was a “clear” pattern of political events prior to the main event.
“So una, may duda tayo na politically-motivated. Ikalawa, whole-of-government ang nagamit dito na talaga comprehensive itong plano ito. Ikatlo, ang mga managutan ng criminal at administrative charges,” Marcos said.
She then recommended that the following be filed cases before the Ombudsman:
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil
Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Nicolas Torre III
Ambassador Markus V. Lacanilao
Government ‘cover -up’
The president’s sister boldly said the administration was trying to cover up what was being unearthed in the probe citing specific instances proving the claim.
Marcos highlighted the younger Remulla’s television admission that the arrest was a long planned “group effort” but switched gears during the hearing and said the government only knew about the warrant from the former president himself during his speech in Hong Kong, barely days before the March 11 arrest.
“Habang nagpapatuloy ang unang pagdinig, tumanggi si DILG Remulla na magsalita [nang] tanungin siya tungkol sa panayam kay Pinky Webb kung saan sinabi niya na group effort ang pag- aresto at in- invoke pa ang executive privilege samantang lumabas na sa media. Una, tinawag niyang chismis ang pahayag. Ngunit nang mabisto, tinulungan na lamang ng kapatid at sinabing executive privilege na nga,” he said.
Marcos also blasted the administration’s invocation of the sub judice rule due to the habeas corpus cases filed by the Duterte siblings before the Supreme Court and the executive privilege.
“Halimbawa nung mahuli si Gen. Tore na nagbibigay ng maling pahayag tungkol sa pagmamadaling ilipat si PRRD sa Hague dahil daw sa Art. 125 ng Rev. Penal Code. Ngunit nung ipunto na ang Rev. Penal Code Art. 125 ay para lamang sa warrantless arrest, bigla niyang ginamit ang subjudice na naman,” Marcos said.
“Isa pang indikasyon sa pagtatakip ng administrasyon ay ang blanket invocation ng executive privilege ni Executive Secretary Bersamin upang pagbawalan lahat ng opisyal ng ehekutibo dumalo sa ikalawang hearing noong 3 April,” she said.
Marcos said the cover-up got more pronounced when Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero ordered for the release of Lacanilao, the Palace official tasked to “oversee” the arrest and surrender the former president to the ICC when the latter was cited in contempt for “lying.”
Despite the attendance of the government officials during the April 10 probe, Marcos said there are still questions left unanswered because of their insistence of their executive privilege.
“Kung sino-sino ang nag-utos ng pag-aresto, kung sino ang nag-utos ng paglipat niya sa Hague at kung paano nakuha ang eruplano na ginamit sa paglipat,” she said.
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Republika News 
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