Vice President Sara Duterte made an appearance on Thursday via Zoom during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte led by Presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos.
Among the invited resource persons were Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, Philippine Air Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Major General Nicolas Torre III, and others.
The vice president emphasized that what is more disturbing is the silence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Why did the AFP stand idly by while the former commander-in-chief was taken from a military base under questionable circumstances? How could they allow a foreign tribunal to override our Constitution? We have now lost a former president and I pray we do not lose the country next,” the vice president said.
The vice president reminded that under the law, the Presidential Security Command formerly the Presidential Security Group (PSG), a unit under the AFP, is in charge of the security of former presidents.
The vice president reiterated that what happened to the former president aims to demolish political opponents.
“Your honor, senators Cayetano and Marcos, and other senators present, alam naman nating lahat at alam nila na mali ang ginawa nila. Ginawa nila yun just to demolish political opponents. This is all about politics. This administration is using government resources, the ICC to demolish the opposition. Wala na tayong argument. Mali ang ginawa. Ang tanong ngayon, ano ang gagawin natin para maibalik ang dating pangulo sa Pilipinas? Kasi nag-iisa ako ngayon dito at gumagawa ng paraan para maibalik ang ating dating pangulo sa ating bayan,” the vice president said.
The vice president added that the people should move forward as the former president cannot be brought back to the Philippines.
“Sa totoo lang hindi ako galit, hindi ako disappointed, nothing at all. Kasi pointless naman na magharbor ako ng feelings about what happened. Hindi na siya maibabalik. Hindi na maibabalik si Pangulong Duterte sa Pilipinas. So what we should do as a country is move on from what happened. So, what will we do as our ways forward, as a country, and as a people. Magalit man tayo, walang papupuntahan yang galit natin. Dahil hindi naman papanagutin ng pamahalaan natin,” she said.
Meanwhile, Marcos stressed that the investigation aims “to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that his (Duterte’s) legal rights were not only upheld but protected, especially given the involvement of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court.”
Marcos presented in the hearing video footage that showed the former president being flown to the Netherlands after receiving the arrest order when he returned to the Philippines from Hong Kong.
“Ito ang napanood ng buong bansa, at ang tanging tanong, bakit natin isinuko ang isang kapwang Pilipino? Kung ang iyong kapatid ay inuusig, ipapasa mo ba sa kamay ng iba? Kung ang iyong ama o ‘di kaya ang iyong lolo pa, matanda na, may sakit, kinakakaldkad palabas ng inyong tahanan, manonood ka ba na parang wala lang?” the senator asked.
“Ganito ang nangyari ngayon. Isinuko natin si Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa dayuhan na para bang wala siyang sariling bayan, na para bang hindi na nating kayang humusga sa sarili nating tahanan,” Marcos added.
Justice Secretary Remulla reasoned in the Senate hearing that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over individuals who may violate international humanitarian law.
“It is not the Philippines that is under the ICC but it is the individual who is charged for crimes against humanity,” he said.
DILG Secretary Remulla clarified that their meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not to plan the arrest of the former president but to discuss the rumor about an ICC arrest order contradicting his statements in one of his recent televised interviews.
“It was a discussion of a rumor,” Remulla said in the Senate hearing.
Marcos said if it’s proven that there are wrongdoings in Duterte’s arrest they will put up safeguards so it will not happen again.
