Palace: Cabinet officials shared enough info on Duterte arrest
Cabinet officials have provided the Senate enough information on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Cabinet officials have provided sufficient information on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte during a previous Senate hearing, the Palace maintained on Wednesday.
This statement came in response to Sen. Imee Marcos’ objection to the absence of officials at the upcoming hearing of the Senate foreign relations committee, which she chairs, on the same issue, scheduled for Thursday.
READ: Admin officials no-show in next Senate hearing on Duterte arrest
“Alam na po ng mga Cabinet officials natin na sapat na po, sa kanilang pananaw, ang kanilang mga nasabi, naibigay na facts, mga data sa naunang hearing,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said during a briefing.
(Our Cabinet officials believe that they have already provided sufficient statements, facts, and data during the previous hearing.)
She insisted that since Marcos had established her preliminary findings during the previous hearing, this made the attendance of government executives unnecessary.
“Hindi po natin masasabi na hindi naman po tinugunan ang mga katanungan kung ito po ay in aid of legislation,” Castro said.
(We cannot say that the questions were left unanswered, especially if this is in aid of legislation.)
The Palace official also emphasized that the administration is not withholding any information regarding Duterte’s apprehension and surrender to the International Criminal Court.
On Tuesday, the senator’s office released a copy of a letter from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin informing her and Senate President Francis Escudero that Cabinet officials would no longer attend the hearing.
Bersamin said in the letter that the officials had “sincerely answered all the questions to the best of their knowledge and candidly provided all information elicited by the Senate committee members.”
He also reiterated his position on invoking the “executive privilege” of the officials in the proceedings, as stated in a letter he sent to Escudero on March 20.
“We believe that all matters not covered by executive privilege have already been extensively discussed,” Bersamin said.
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Marcos did not respond favorably to the officials’ expected absence, which she said contradicts Malacañang’s earlier position that it will not hinder the officials from participating in the hearing.
“Who should be followed? Executive Secretary Bersamin’s statement does not align with that of President Marcos,” read Marcos’ statement in Filipino. “They can’t have contrasting decisions. What’s the use of the President’s statement if they won’t follow it?”
The first Senate hearing on Duterte’s arrest for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war was held on March 20.
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11 and was flown on the same day to The Hague in Netherlands, where he is being held pending his trial. The former president had his pretrial hearing on March 14, while the confirmation of the charges against him is set on Sept. 23.
