DOJ's Remulla, other execs present in 3rd Senate hearing on Duterte’s arrest

After skipping the second hearing into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, several officials, led by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla are present Thursday for the continuation of the Senate foreign relations inquiry.

Apart from Remulla, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, PNP Chief Pol. Gen. Rommel Marbil, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, Assistant Executive Secretary Cañero from the Office of the President, Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Anthony Alcantara, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Ambassador Markus Lancanilao, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III, PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo, and Security and Exchange Commission Chief Counsel RJ Bernal are among those who showed up for the hearing.

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna Jr. was also present in the congressional inquiry into Duterte’s arrest.

Last April 3, Senator Imee Marcos, panel chairperson, slammed the absence of Cabinet officials in the second Senate committee hearing into the arrest of Duterte and floated the suspicion of a “cover up” in the events that transpired during the operations against the former president.

“Hidden truths are unspoken lies. Ang katotohonang tinatago ay kasinunggalingan din. At mukhang ganu'n ang nangyayari ngayon sa pagtatago ng katotohan gamit ang executive privilege at subjudice, nagmimustulan tuloy may cover up sa mga nangyayari," she said during the hearing.

The absence of the executive officials also prompted Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a known Duterte ally, to subpoena them.

But Escudero on Sunday said there is no need for a subpoena for the invited resource persons to attend the hearing.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin earlier invoked Executive Order 464, which provides for executive privilege, classifying the communication between the Chief Executive and Cabinet officials and the President's advisers as privileged communications not for public disclosure.

Imee, sister of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., had said that EO 464 is not a free pass for Cabinet officials wanting to dodge a Senate inquiry.

Imee earlier released preliminary findings of the congressional inquiry, and stated that the arrest of Duterte on March 11, on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), violated the rights of the former president.

The Palace and opposition figures, however, have both defended the arrest as an enforcement of the law.

They particularly cited Section 17 of Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law states that: ''In the interest of justice, the relevant Philippine authorities may dispense with the investigation or prosecution of a crime punishable under this Act if another court or international tribunal is already conducting the investigation or undertaking the prosecution of such crime. Instead, the authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any, or to another State pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties.

Duterte was flown to The Hague after his arrest and was placed in detention at the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison on March 13 (PH time). He faced the ICC via video link the following day, where the court read to him the charges against him related to the killings under his administration's war on drugs.

The confirmation of charges has been set for September 23, 2025.—AOL, GMA Integrated News