The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has influenced Senator Imee Marcos’ decision to distance herself from the campaign sorties of the senatorial slate under her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s political coalition, Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas.

In a television interview on Friday, Marcos expressed discomfort about joining the administration’s campaign activities.

“Hindi pa kami nag-uusap ng ibang kandidato pero ako naiilang ako na pumunta dito sa mga Alyansa at iba pang pangangampanya. Ako ay iikot lang sa lokal (I haven't talked to 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.

On 20 March, Marcos initiated a Senate motu proprio investigation into Duterte’s arrest, emphasizing the need to examine why a Filipino citizen would be surrendered to a foreign court.

"Pero ang mahalaga ngayon ay talagang malaman natin bakit natin isusuko ang kapwa Pilipino sa dayuhan. Ang pinaka-importante talaga alamin natin kung tama ba itong nangyari sa ating bansa na nagiging halos probinsya na lamang tayo ng The Hague (But what is important now is that we really need to understand why we would surrender our fellow Filipinos to foreigners. The most important thing is to find out if what is happening in our country is right, where we are almost becoming just a province of The Hague),” she said.

In a separate statement, Marcos said it is critical for the country to assert its sovereignty in light of recent developments.

“Ang mahalaga sa akin ay tutukan ang kaso ng pagtangay sa isang kapwa Pilipino na isinuko ng ating pamahalaan sa isang banyagang institusyon sa ibang bansa (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.

“Pagkat sa kabila ng kampanya at pulitika, napakahalaga nito para sa ating mga kababayan, ang ating OFWs at sa ating mga batas. Hindi lang ito tungkol kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, tungkol ito sa soberanya ng ating bansa (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),” she added.

'Betrayal'

Marcos also condemned what she called a betrayal by the government in surrendering a Filipino citizen.

“Sabi nila, batas ang dapat manaig. Tama! Pero kaninong batas? Batas natin o batas ng mga dayuhan (They say that the law should prevail. Correct! But whose law? Our law or the law of foreigners?),” she said.

She warned that Duterte’s case could set a dangerous precedent, especially for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

“Kung nagawa nila ito sa isang dating pangulo, sino na lang ang susunod? May maipapangako pa ba tayong proteksyon sa mga OFW nating naghahanapbuhay sa ibang bansa? (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 vowed to continue pushing for a legislative inquiry into the matter to prevent similar situations in the future.

“Hindi tayo papayag na yurakan ang dangal ng Pilipino sa sarili nating bayan! (We will not allow the dignity of Filipinos to be trampled on in our own land),” she further pressed.