The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte has caused Senator Imee Marcos to rethink her participation in the campaign sorties of the Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate of her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a television interview on Friday, Marcos expressed her reluctance to join the administration’s campaign sorties.

“I haven’t talked to the other candidates yet, but I am hesitant to go to the Alyansa events and other campaign activities. I will just focus on local campaigns,” she said.

Last Thursday, Marcos launched a motu proprio Senate investigation into the arrest of Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

She emphasized the importance of understanding why the government allowed a Filipino citizen to be subjected to a foreign court.

“What is important now is to really understand why we would surrender our fellow Filipino to foreigners. The most important thing is to find out if what is happening in our country is right, where we are almost becoming a province of The Hague,” she said.

In a separate statement on Friday, Marcos stressed it was imperative for the country to always assert its sovereignty.

“What matters to me is to focus on the case of a fellow Filipino being handed over by our government to a foreign institution in another country,” she said.

“Because despite the campaign and politics, this is incredibly important for our countrymen, for our OFWs, and for our laws. This is not just about former President Rodrigo Duterte, this is about the sovereignty of our country,” Marcos underscored.

Betraying a fellow Filipino

Marcos issued a strong condemnation of the government’s blatant act of betrayal against a Filipino.

“They say that the law should prevail. Correct! But whose law? Our law or the law of foreigners?” she asked.

Marcos warned of the potential impact of Duterte’s current situation on all Filipinos, particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“If they did this to a former president, who will be next? Can we still promise protection to our OFWs working abroad?” she said.

Marcos said she will continue to push for an investigation into the arrest of Duterte to ensure that legislation is enacted “to prevent such foreign pressure from happening again.”