Senate panel cites Markus Lacanilao in contempt

The Senate foreign relations committee has cited in contempt Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao for supposedly lying in relation to last month's arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa made the motion Thursday after finding Lacanilao’s answers during the continuing hearing “very misleading.” 

This was approved by panel chairperson, Senator Imee Marcos.

Lacanilao had repeatedly denied knowledge of whether Duterte was brought to a competent national judicial authority.

“Lahat tayo hindi alam ang dahilan kung bakit nung araw na ‘yun kinailangan talagang isakay at dalhin sa The Hague kahit may sakit, kahit may karapatang pumunta sa husgadong Pilipino, kahit hindi pa nakikita ang pamilya, ang doktor, ang abogadong pili,” Marcos said.

(All of us don't know the reason why on that day, [former President Duterte] was taken to The Hague despite being ill, that he has a right to go to a local court, without seeing his family, doctor, and a lawyer of his choice.)

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ''Boying'' Remulla asked the senators to reconsider, but it was turned down.

“It’s an extradition form, that’s why the questions are answerable in another jurisdiction, but not our jurisdiction. So, it’s very hard to answer something that works in a different manner,” Remulla said.

Several senators earlier in the day grilled Lacanilao for supposedly signing documents that led to the surrender and transfer of the former president to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Marcos presented copies of the Transfer of Custody, as well as the Information on the Surrender and Transfer, which indicated the signature of Lacanilao.

“I was there to oversee the smooth arrest of the former president,” Lacanilao said, adding that he only “volunteered” to accompany Duterte to The Hague, as members of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), who were supposed to join, had no available passports at that time. 

Remulla said that Lacanilao, during Duterte’s March 11 arrest, was appointed representative of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) as he also oversees the PCTC.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano then questioned why the envoy signed the Transfer of Custody on behalf of the Philippine government if he was representing the Interpol.

“Medyo mataas na ho kasi ‘yung ano nu’n eh, pagod na rin kami. Tapos ang request ng ICC staff that time…na kunin na ng medical team. Hindi ho kasi ma-perform ‘yung medical assistance [on] the former president eh. ‘Yun ang dahilan niyan,” Lacanilao explained.

(Emotions ran high at that time and we were also tired. Then the ICC staff were requesting for the medical team to take him. The medical assistance couldn’t be performed on the former president. That's the reason.)

In the same hearing, Remulla said he gave the clearances to serve the ICC warrant to Duterte and to fly him to The Hague to face crimes against humanity charges in connection with the killings under his administration's war on drugs.

In an ambush interview, Remulla said they were considering legal options for the release of Lacanilao. 

He said that the special envoy had recently lost his grandfather and had been tasked to arrange the internment that was scheduled on Friday. 

“Mag-uusap kami kasi namatayan siya. Namatay ang lolo niya. Siya ang magpapalibing bukas. Siya ang nag-aasikaso, wala na syang father e. Ang problema hindi mali-lift ng committee ang contempt,” Remulla said. 

“‘Yun ang problema ngayon. Naka-hang yung issue na yun. Kasi sinabi ko na sa kanila ‘yon, I told the senators about it kaya lang they cited the rule na kailangan majority ang mag-withdraw or mag-reconsider,” he added. 

Remulla said they will write the Senate panel to “reconsider” their contempt against Lacanilao. 

“But we’re also considering other legal actions kasi apparently there are questions that can be raised about it,” he ended. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News