Senator Imee Marcos is seeking to conduct an urgent Senate investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, which, for her, is an issue that has "deeply divided the nation".
In a statement on Monday, March 17, Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations said that it's "imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that Duterte's legal rights were not just upheld but protected, especially given the involvement of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court (ICC)."
"To shed light on this matter, I am inviting key officials and agencies, including officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of Transportation Security-Department of Transportation (OTS-DOTr), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Security Council (NSC), and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and other resource persons and witnesses," she said.
She added that the Senate must address these critical concerns to uphold the country’s jurisdiction and to clarify policies governing local law enforcement agencies and their engagement with international tribunals.
"Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount," she said.
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, March 11, after Interpol received an arrest warrant from the ICC.
The plane carrying the former president took off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 11:03 p.m. headed to The Hague in the Netherlands, where he will be facing charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs during his administration.
Duterte recently attended the ICC hearing via video link. He appeared seemingly frail, wearing a blue suit, and was asked to confirm his identity. He was also made aware of his rights, which include the possibility of applying for interim release pending trial.
ICC Pre-trial Chamber I has set Duterte's confirmation of charges hearing on Sept. 23, six months after his arrest. The confirmation of charges hearing is when the chamber decides whether there's sufficient evidence against a suspect, determining if the case should proceed to trial.