PBBM answers Imee: I disagree

Marcos (left) and his sister Imee: Worlds apart

MANILA, Philippines – “I disagree.”

This was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s short but bold response to sister Sen. Imee Marcos’ accusation that the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte was a “whole-of-government” approach meant to bring down the Dutertes before the 2028 presidential elections.

While not throwing shade at his eldest sister, Marcos Jr. simply dismissed her statement as her right to speak her belief.

“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion,” the president said.

The reelectionist senator, who has shown solid inclination to the Dutertes, released on Tuesday “further findings” of her foreign relations committee.

In her statement, Senator Marcos solidified the claim that the arrest of the former leader was “politically-motivated” and that it was part of the plan to get the Dutertes out of the scene before the 2028 presidential elections, where Vice President Sara Duterte would be a strong contender.

In her findings, she strengthened the argument of an administration “cover-up” to evade scrutiny over the legality of the arrest and surrender they did to the former president to the International Criminal Court.

Citing proof supposed cover-up tactics were the administration’s invocation of the sub judice rule and executive privilege and withholding the attendance of involved gov’t officials to the hearing.

She then recommended five officials be charged for various offenses such as graft, grave misconduct, usurpation of judicial functions and arbitrary detention among others.

As follows, they are:

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 and;

Ambassador Markus V. Lacanilao

Vice President Duterte supported the older Marcos’ position and said she wanted to see cases filed against those who worked for the arrest of her father.

The lawmaker also vowed to block the arrest of the vice president should a warrant for her arrest be issued by the ICC for being an alleged conspirator in the drug war of her father.

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