MALACAÑANG has given the go-signal to 11 Cabinet secretaries and other members of the Executive branch to attend the third hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations set on the arrest and turn-over of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he is facing a crimes against humanity case in connection with the drug killings during his administration.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Office of the Executive Secretary has permitted the following to attend the hearing: Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan, Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Executive Director Anthony Alcantara, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Franscisco Marbil, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Major Gen. Nicolas Torre, Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Markus Lacanilao and lawyers RJ Bernal and Ferdinand Loji Santiago.
Senate President Francis Escudero on Sunday said he spoke with Cabinet officials during the weekend and persuaded them to attend the Senate committee hearing to avoid a constitutional crisis.
Sen. Imee Marcos, committee chairperson, has earlier asked Escudero to issue subpoenas to the Cabinet officials after they snubbed the second panel hearing last week.
This after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told Escudero and Marcos to excuse the members of the Executive branch from attending the hearing since they have already sufficiently answered the questions of senators related to Duterte’s arrest during the first hearing held last March 20.
In a briefing in Malacañang, Castro said that while the officials have been permitted to attend the inquiry, they could still invoke executive privilege when necessary, reiterating that there are some information and operational details that are classified and could not be divulged in public.
In a separate interview with radio DzBB, Castro said it would be up to the senators if they would hold any of the executive department’s officials in contempt if the need arises.
Marcos had called for the Senate inquiry to determine the circumstances related to the March 11 arrest and transport of Duterte to The Hague.
A week after the first hearing, Marcos released her committee’s initial report, saying that the arrest was allegedly premediated and riddled with irregularities.
She likewise said the rights of the former president were supposedly violated when he was turned over to the ICC despite the country’s non-membership to the Rome Statute.
During last week’s hearing, Marcos said she wanted to ask government officials about the private Lear jet that flew Duterte to The Hague.
She likewise said she has come across new information that she wanted to clarify with Cabinet leaders.
‘TELL THE TRUTH’
Marcos yesterday urged Cabinet officials to tell the truth when they attend the next hearing.
In a statement, Marcos said she was glad that the Cabinet members changed their minds and have agreed to attend the third hearing but hopes that they will tell everything so that the circumstances behind Duterte’s arrest and turnover to ICC jurisdiction will be clarified once and for all.
“Mabuti at nagdalawang-isip ang administrasyon, pero sana hudyat na ang kanilang anunsiyo ng pagnanais ibunyag ang katotohanan na sa wakas, maliwanagan ang sambayanan patungkol sa totoong mga pangyayari (It’s good that the administration changed it mind, but I hope that this will be the start of disclosing what really happened so that the people will be enlightened),” she said.
“Bibigyan natin sila ng ikatlong pagkakataong magpaliwanag sa Abril 10. Huwag naman sanang mauwi sa pagkukubli o pakitang tao lamang. Magpakatotoo na, please lang! (We will give them another chance to tell the truth on April 10. I hope they will not end up covering the truth or that this is all just for show. Please be true!),” she added. – With Raymond Africa
