Senator Imee Marcos has urged for criminal and administrative charges to be filed against several government officials, accusing them of politically motivating the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte under the Marcos administration.
Marcos, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, held a press conference on April 29 to present the results of three hearings investigating the arrest, detention, and subsequent transfer of Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March.
Among her recommendations, Marcos called on the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the following officials for possible criminal and administrative violations:
- Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
- Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla
- Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil
- PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Maj. Gen. Nicholas Torre
- Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Markus Lacanilao
Marcos claimed that DOJ Secretary Remulla violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by sanctioning an “invalid arrest” and overstepping judicial authority by failing to bring Duterte before a local court. She described this as grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the public interest.
When asked whether her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., authorized the actions, Sen. Marcos declined to confirm, stating, “I don’t know, because on one hand, every Cabinet member can be considered the President’s alter ego. On the other hand, the Secretary of Justice could have acted on his own.”
Marcos’s findings included a timeline she claimed shows that Duterte’s arrest and handover to the ICC were politically driven, with a “whole of government” effort to conceal information related to the incident.
Marcos also called for charges against DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, alleging he induced Marbil and Torre to illegally detain Duterte, accusing him of arbitrary detention and graft, constituting grave misconduct.
She further recommended charges against PNP Chief Marbil for arbitrary detention and graft, stating that he persuaded Torre to violate regulations. She claimed these actions amounted to grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to public service.
Marcos stated that Torre should be held liable not only for Duterte’s arbitrary detention but also for the detention of former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who was handcuffed by Torre for obstructing Duterte’s transfer to the ICC Detention Center in The Hague. Torre also allegedly denied visitation rights to Duterte during his temporary detention at Villamor Air Base.
Finally, Marcos accused Lacanilao of usurping official functions by signing documents on behalf of the Philippine government during Duterte’s transfer to the ICC and committing perjury by allegedly lying under oath during a Senate hearing on April 10. Lacanilao had been previously cited for contempt by the Senate for his contradictory statements.
Marcos clarified that her findings do not yet constitute an official committee report, as the hearings were conducted during Congress’ recess, and it remains unclear how many committee members support her conclusions. The investigation is ongoing, with many questions still unresolved.
