Sen. Imee Marcos and Justice Secretary Boying Remulla. Photo: Senate of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said he is ready to face the complaint filed by Sen. Imee Marcos before the Ombudsman and other key administration officials over the government’s controversial arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

“Actually, the complaint itself parang na-weirdan ako kasi hindi naman committee report eh. Why the haste? Why not wait for the committee report? Kasi, that’s the committee investigation,” Remulla said in an ambush interview. 

“What was contained was the chairman’s report. That’s a little strange. But anyway, we will answer it,” he said. 

Marcos is the chairperson of the committee on foreign relations that investigates the arrest of the former president. 

Remulla however questioned the procedures of the Ombudsman that seemed to veer from its rules. 

“Kasi dati, merong fact-finding ‘yan. May rules na published ‘yan. ‘Yung ngayon parang hindi na dumaan sa fact-finding. Basta’t dire-diretso agad sa amin. We’ll see. I will not insinuate anything,” Remulla said. 

Last week, Marcos submitted a chairman’s report to the Ombudsman following the committee’s assessment of the three hearings conducted on the arrest. 

The report said the probe “uncovered acts by high-ranking government officials which very likely constitute criminal and administrative offenses.”

Last Tuesday, the Ombudsman ordered Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, PNP-CIDG chief Major General Nicolas Torre III, PNP Chief General Rommel Marbil, Special Envoy for Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao and the justice chief to submit their counter affidavit on the report filed by Marcos. 

Marcos released a preliminary report after the first hearing and came up with 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.

After the third hearing, she again released “further findings” where she emphasized a government cover-up of the officials involved in the arrest. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has denied his sister’s claims.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 upon his arrival in Manila from Hong Kong, detained for nearly 14 hours and flown to the ICC headquarters at The Hague, Netherlands. 

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