A Senate panel has prepared subpoenas for top police officials who aided the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
This was after these officials skipped the senate committee on foreign relations hearing on Thursday.
Committee chair Senator Imee Marcos was on her way to request Senate President Chiz Escudero’s signature on the subpoenas and want these served immediately.
Among the subject of the subpoenas are Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Rommel Francisco Marbil, PNP Spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Brigadier General Nicholas Torre. These officials played major roles in Duterte’s arrest.
Marcos stated that the police generals must attend the next Senate probe so that they can answer questions regarding the arrest of the former president.
Previously, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin informed the Senate that cabinet members cannot attend the hearing as they invoked executive privilege which bars discussion of sensitive topics covered in their executive meetings.
However, Marcos argued that police officers are not covered by this privilege since they are not cabinet members.
” Ang sigaw ko naman sa ehekutibo bring them here para may testigo tayo at maliwanagan ang mga tao,”. Marcos said.
Interestingly, Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosa, who pushed for the subpoena, is reportedly a co-perpetrator in the crimes against humanity case against Duterte.
Dela Rosa was the PNP chief during Duterte’s drug war, which allegedly resulted in over 30,000 deaths.
Senators Marcos, dela Rosa, and Bong Go stood firm that Duterte was not given due process when he was arrested and brought to jail in the ICC headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands.
(Senate of the Philippines photo)
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.