National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Thursday refuted allegations that he had a hand in the supposed “grand conspiracy” leading to the arrest of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“The implementation of the ICC warrant is beyond my mandate and I have no part in it. And may I also state for the record that I am not aware of any core group, nor am I a member of such group that allegedly planned and prepared for the arrest of former President Duterte,” Año said in an inquiry by the Senate committee on foreign relations on Duterte’s ICC arrest.

He said he only knew about the arrest on Tuesday morning, 11 March.

Año expressed it was personally difficult for him, as a former cabinet member of the previous administration, to witness Duterte's arrest.

“As a former cabinet member of the Duterte administration, it was also difficult for him to see the former president arrested. I worked closely with President Duterte for so many years through the most serious crises the country faced and we have developed and nurtured a personal friendship. He trusted and respected me in the same way I trusted and respected him even after our terms had ended in 2022,” Año said.

Año, who is also a member of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet, explained that his role as incumbent national security adviser during Duterte's arrest was limited to “assess that the situation does not escalate into a national security concern.”

He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and was also designated as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government during the Duterte administration.

“I never played politics. I do not have a political agenda nor will I have political ambitions. I uphold the same principle in my role as the National Security Adviser as the Director General of the National Security Council (NSC),” he said.

“Thus, I would like to state for the record that my role was limited to the mandate of my office—to assess that the situation does not escalate into a national security concern.”

Año said he was merely doing his job when he was accused of being one of the planners of Duterte’s ICC arrest.

"It is utterly unacceptable and unfair that my name is being dragged into an alleged grand conspiracy. I firmly deny any allegations of a grand conspiracy. In fact, the events on March 11 were spontaneous," he added.

During the hearing, Committee chairperson Senator Imee Marcos mentioned it was Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Jonvic Remulla who earlier named Año among three others—Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Philippine National Police Chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil, and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Romeo Brawner Jr.—as allegedly planning the former President’s arrest.

Remulla explained his previous remarks in a television interview.

“The question was—who planned this? I did not state in any way who planned it. The meeting was of executive privilege with the President and the ones I’ve mentioned,” he said.

Marcos asked, “What exactly did you say?”

As the argument progressed, Justice Secretary Remulla called for an executive session about the execution of the arrest.

“We’re invoking executive privilege in this matter,” he said.

“It’s fine, but it’s in the interview,” Marcos replied.

“It goes that far as on the interview,” Remulla said.