MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. disagrees with the findings of the committee of his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, regarding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to the Chief Executive, however, he respects the opinion of Senator Marcos from the three Senate inquiries conducted regarding the arrest of Marcos based on an International Criminal Court warrant.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I disagree,” President Marcos said in an ambush interview on Tuesday.
In a press conference on early Tuesday, Senator Marcos said the Ombudsman should investigate several Cabinet officials over their involvement in the arrest of the former President.
Senator Marcos said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil, Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Nicolas Torre III, and Ambassador Markus Lacanilao could be liable for graft, grave misconduct, usurpation of judicial functions, and arbitrary detention, among others.
The senator said the recommendation was also based on the additional findings on Duterte’s arrest, which she said was supposedly “politically motivated” and carried out through “group effort”.
The elder Marcos also accused the administration of her brother of attempting to divert public attention away from the issue and onto the maritime dispute with China.
Duterte, 80, faces a charge of crimes against humanity for murder over his “war on drugs” that claimed the lives of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
A confirmation of charges hearing, where prosecutor and defence first lay out their evidence, is scheduled for September 23./PN
