Exercise in futility

Exercise in futility | Daily Tribune

A week ago (Thursday, 20 March, to be exact), Senator Imee Marcos followed through on her call for a Senate inquiry into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD). As I sat before the television set waiting for Manang Imee’s hearing to start, I couldn’t help but notice that the place card flashed on the screen bore her senatorial campaign hashtag “#ImeeSolusyon.” If there was any doubt as to the motivation for the hearing in aid of legislation, that detail certainly took care of it.

The hearing was an exercise in futility. Nothing she said or uncovered could change the fact that FPRRD had been arrested and brought to The Hague to face trial. What did she hope to achieve in still holding a hearing?

Manang Imee badly needs a break, something to get her dismal numbers up. It may be that she is still trying to win back Duterte supporters. Makes sense. After all, Senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa rank in the top 6 in surveys thanks to the Duterte supporters. Bong Go has even taken over the number 1 spot from Erwin Tulfo based on the latest survey.

Sadly, Manang Imee might not get the Duterte votes again. As far as Duterte supporters are concerned, she is the proximate cause of the arrest and trial of FPRRD. If not for her intervention and efforts to convince Sara Duterte to run as BongBong Marcos’s vice president in 2022, Sara Duterte would’ve been president. Or if not, at the very least, PBBM would not have won so easily. More importantly, FPRRD would probably still be in Davao instead of in detention awaiting trial in The Hague.

If anything, the hearing only left the public with questions about Jonvic Remulla’s competence as secretary of the Interior and Local Government. Despite the efforts of his older brother, Justice Secretary Boying Remulla, to cover for him by invoking executive privilege, the bottom line is Jonvic disclosed too much — perhaps in his exultation at having just achieved a seemingly herculean feat.

We must also remember that not all matters discussed by or with the President are covered by executive privilege. As an exception to the general rule, statutory interpretation compels strict adherence to the enumerated exception. Besides, even if only for the sake of argument, assuming what transpired was covered by the privilege, could SILG still invoke executive privilege when he had effectively waived it with his prior disclosure to the public?

Makes one wonder what the administration officials’ game plan was when they accepted the committee invitation. They knew they were going into a hostile inquiry. The internet was awash with statements made by Sec Jonvic Remulla. He admitted that the government arranged and paid for the chartered plane. In an attempt at modesty, he also unwittingly disclosed that the arrest and rendition was a “group effort” enumerating those “who were on top of it.”

What was a near flawless execution of the service of the arrest warrant that left the Duterte camp helpless and powerless has been marred by the conflicting and inconsistent statements by officials of the executive branch.

The administration, unfortunately, has failed to control the narrative of the government’s role and extent of participation in the arrest and surrender of FPRRD to the ICC.