OVER DUTERTE ARREST

Palace dismisses Sara Duterte's accountability call vs. Marcos

Malacañang dismissed Wednesday Vice President Sara Duterte’s call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be held accountable for the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as “baseless.”

“Ang opinyon na nanggagaling sa ating bise presidente ay walang pinanggagalingan, walang basehan,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said at a media briefing.

(The opinion of our vice president has no basis.)

Castro reiterated that the government followed the law and acted in cooperation with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

“Ang pamahalaan nagsuko man po kay dating Pangulong Duterte, siya po ay kinokonsiderang isang akusado, isang suspect, sa crimes against humanity, particularly murder, na ang nagsampa rin po ay kapwa Pilipino na di umanong biktima ng extrajudicial killings ng madugong war on drugs,” she said.

(Even if the government surrendered former President Duterte, he is considered an accused, a suspect, in crimes against humanity, particularly murder, filed by fellow Filipinos who were allegedly victims of extrajudicial killings under the bloody war on drugs.)

“Ang ginawa ng pamahalaan ay hindi naman po pagsuko ng soberanya, kundi pagsuko ng isang akusado,” she added.

(What the government did was not a surrender of sovereignty, but a surrender of an accused individual.)

This came after Vice President Duterte said Marcos should be held accountable for supposedly allowing the arrest of her father and his eventual transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs.

“Dapat talaga managot ang Pangulo ng Pilipinas [the President of the Philippines should really be held accountable] because he allowed a foreign entity, foreign organization to interfere with our national sovereignty,” the Vice President said.

“Hindi naman mangyayari lahat ‘yun kung walang approval ng Pangulo. ‘Yung tinatawag natin na rendition o ‘yung pag-kidnap o pagkuha ng isang citizen sa loob ng bayan niya at dalhin siya sa isang foreign jurisdiction para ipakulong doon, hindi mangyayari ‘yan kung walang approval ng President,” she added.

(All of what transpired wouldn't have happened without the approval of the President. The rendition, kidnapping, or taking of a citizen from his own country to be brought to a foreign jurisdiction to get imprisoned there, wouldn't happen without the approval of the President.)

Senate panel report

Last week, Senator Imee Marcos submitted to the Office e Office of the Ombudsman a chairman's report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the ICC.

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

The Ombudsman has ordered Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rommel Marbil, and two others to answer the allegations.

Castro said the concerned government officials will file their respective counter-affidavits.

“Sa napakabilis pong pag aksyon ng Ombudsman sa reklamo pong ito ni Senator Imee Marcos, tayo naman po ay tutugon. Ang mga nasabing opisyal ay tutugon po at sila po ay mag sa-submit ng kanilang mga counter affidavits,” she said.

(In response to the swift action of the Ombudsman on this complaint by Senator Imee Marcos, we will also respond. The said officials will comply and submit their counter-affidavits.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News