PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not asking Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra to resign as he still fully trusts him, Communications undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro said yesterday.
Guevarra has declined to represent the government in the consolidated habeas corpus petitions filed by three children of former president Rodrigo Duterte before the Supreme Court (SC).
His decision to recuse from the case has sparked calls for his resignation, to which Guevarra has said that he is leaving it to Marcos is he wants him to stay on as solicitor general.
Castro said Marcos and Guevarra have already met and discussed the matter.
“Noong tinanong ko po siya (Marcos) kung magre-resign po si SolGen, ang sabi niya, ‘Hindi ko hinihingi ang pagre-resign niya.’ So, iyon lang po ang sinabi niya. So, nandoon pa rin po iyong trust niya kay SolGen Menardo Guevarra (When I asked the President if the Solgen will resign, he said ‘I am not asking him to resign.’ So, that is what he said. He continues to trust SolGen Menardo Guevarra),“ she said.
The Office of the Solicitor General, in refusing to represent the high-ranking government officials in the habeas corpus petitions, cited its “firm stand” that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country’s investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial system is functioning.
Duterte’s children – Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and Veronicas “kitty” Duterte have separately filed petitions for habeas corpus asking the SC to compel the Philippine government to bring back their father from The Hague where he is currently detained and facing charges of crime against humanity in connection with his administration’s violent drug war campaign.
