Senator Imee Marcos admitted on Thursday the Senate inquiry into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, which she spearheaded, may have strained further her relationship with her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“It was never my intention for the hearing to be anti-administration. In fact, if you recall, almost all the witnesses came from the government. I didn’t know what their answers would be — that’s exactly why I was asking questions. How would I know what they were going to say?” she told reporters in a press conference.

“When their answers didn’t align and contradicted each other, it made the government look bad. He might be upset with me because that was exposed during my hearing,” she added.

According to Senator Marcos, she was caught by surprise when her younger brother took the Senate inquiry personally, which she said was simply aimed at finding out the truth behind the arrest of the former president.

“I was surprised that he actually got mad. Maybe the answers didn’t align or match. But that’s not my fault — that’s just how they responded. So why be upset?” she said.

The senator also revealed that she had not been in direct contact with President Marcos for some time and only saw him during public events.

“We haven’t spoken for a long time because there are many people getting in the way,” she said.

Her admission came just a day after she withdrew from the administration-backed senatorial slate of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (APBP).

Senator Marcos previously stated that she left the coalition due to “actions taken by the administration” which she claimed ran counter to her ideals and principles.

“Thus, I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa. As I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will continue to maintain my independence,” she said.

She continued: “Over and above political advantage, the sovereignty of the country and the interest of true justice for every Filipino must remain paramount.”

Prior to his sister’s decision to leave the APBP, President Marcos notably omitted her name on two campaign sorties where he introduced the APBP slate and asked for support for the coalition. The omission reignited speculation about a long-rumored rift between the siblings.

Senator Marcos has been vocal in criticizing the arrest of Duterte, who is now in The Hague, Netherlands to face crime against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC),

Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the morning of 11 March upon returning from Hong Kong where he attended a Kingdom of Jesus Christ event with overseas Filipino workers.

That night, he was flown to The Hague, where the ICC is based, to face the charges linked to his anti-illegal drugs crackdown in the country.