Malacañang has no information on any asylum bid pursued by former president Rodrigo Duterte in China, a Palace official said.
"Wala po kaming ganoong impormasyon na natanggap. Hindi po iyon ang mga lumalabas na info na dumarating sa Palasyo (We did not receive such information. That was not the information the Palace got)," Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing on Friday, March 21.
Asked what kind of information has reached the Palace, Castro said it was only Duterte's trip back to Manila from Hong Kong last March 11.
She, however, did not elaborate further.
Duterte allegedly sought asylum in China but was rejected. He was arrested by local police upon his arrival from Hong Kong by the power of a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) coursed through the Interpol.
On the same day of his arrest, he was flown to the Hague in the Netherlands.
Thankful for Senate hearing on Duterte arrest
Castro expressed that Malacañang was thankful for the Senate hearing on the former president's arrest, saying it helped shed light on the facts of the arrest.
"Unang-una po, nagpapasalamat po tayo na nagkaroon po ng senate hearing patungkol dito (First of all, we are thankful that a senate hearing was undertaken about this)," Castro said.
"Mas naliwanagan ang tao, ang taumbayan kung ano ba ang nangyari, napaliwanag po kung ano iyong batas at kung ano lang iyong ginawang batas. Kaya maraming salamat sa pagkakaroon po ng senate hearing na ito (What really happened became clearer to the people, the law was explained. So we are thankful for the Senate hearing)," the Palace press officer added.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) undersecretary also did not further give details about the officials behind the arrest and how it was discussed among them.
"Kung sino po ang nag-utos, wala po tayong personal knowledge diyan. Kung ano po napag-usapan, wala pa rin po tayong personal knowledge diyan. Kung naganap na po ang dapat na naganap, iyan po ay naaayon naman po sa batas (Whoever made the order, we have no personal knowledge about that. We have no personal knowledge about what was discussed. What was meant to happen happened according to the law)," she said.
It can be recalled that President Marcos revealed that they got a hold of the warrant of arrest issued by the ICC at 3 a.m. on March 11.
He said at 6:30 a.m., he told the concerned government agencies to proceed with the arrest.
"And I said, 'okay, we’ll put all our plans into place and sige, let’s proceed as we had discussed.' That’s what happened," he said in a late-night press briefing on March 11, shortly after the plane carrying Duterte took off from the country.
"So, yes, there is a very clear document that will explain when the -- how on the -- sorry, that will explain the basis on how we conducted this arrest of former President Duterte," he added.