Senator Imee Marcos called the detainment of Special Envoy on Transnational Crime Ambassador Markus Lacanilao a "gentle slap on the wrist".

In a statement on Tuesday, April 22, Marcos said that Lacanilao should have been detained immediately since the rules do not even mention a need for a show-cause order.

"However, instead of immediate detention, Lacanilao was given 11 days before he was eventually ordered to be detained. In contrast, it took the administration only several hours to arrest and whisk FPRRD (Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) out of the country," she said.

Adding insult to injury, Marcos said that Lacanilao is to be detained for only two days.

"While ordinary people are locked up until they purge themselves of the contempt, as sanctioned by Section 18, Resolution No. 5, Series of 2010, as amended, Lacanilao is given an ever so gentle slap on the wrist," she said.

"Apparently, the rules only apply to ordinary people and not to people like Lacanilao who is favored by the powers that be," she added.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero ordered that Lacanilao be placed under Senate custody for a period not exceeding two days in connection to the contempt order against him during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on April 10 for testifying evasively.

Escudero said that after careful evaluation, Lacanilao failed to satisfactorily explain through a clear statement of facts why his answers during the hearing were not evasive.

"Further he is admonished to attend future hearings and provide truthful answers to questions propounded during the inquiry," he added.

In a statement from Senate Spokesperson Atty. Arnel Jose Bañas, Lacanilao was placed under Senate custody on Monday, April 21. He said that Lacanilao voluntarily presented himself before the Upper Chamber to personally receive and comply with the order.

Marcos, who chaired the Senate panel inquiry, earlier expressed her disappointment to Escudero's refusal to sign the contempt order. Marcos said that he was cited for contempt for lying and giving misleading statements on the arrest of Duterte.

But Escudero answered back, telling Marcos not to use the Senate as a platform for her political objectives and instead urge her to use her name, title, and influence as a bridge toward unity, not a wedge for division.

Escudero stated that members of the Senate are fully aware that under the Rules of the Senate, the power of a committee chairperson to order the arrest or detention of any resource person cited in contempt was subject to the approval of the Senate President.

He also clarified that he did not refuse to sign the contempt order against Lacanilao. What happened was that Marcos released her statement and flaunted to the media her signed arrest and detention order even before he could see, much less, receive a copy of it.

A show-cause order was later issued against Lacanilao to explain within five days why he should not be cited in contempt.