Cabinet members snub Senate probe on Duterte’s arrest

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing into the controversial arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte proceeded Thursday without key Cabinet officials, who chose not to attend despite being invited.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and National Security Council Director General Eduardo Año were among those absent from the proceedings.

Other officials who skipped the hearing included Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Executive Director Anthony Alcantara, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rommel Marbil, and PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Nicolas Torre III.

The only government representatives present were lawyers RJ Bernal, and Ferdino Logie Santiago, both from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alexis Medina, a legal scholar also attended the hearing.

Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate panel, expressed disappointment on the “total snub” of Cabinet officials into the chamber’s probe into the former president’s arrest.

In her opening statement, Senator Marcos raised whether the refusal of Cabinet officials to attend in the proceedings is tantamount from running from their liabilities.

“The truth is like a shadow — it follows you wherever you go. The truth is like a shadow — it does not exist without light, without explanation,” she said.

“Is it secrecy now, not transparency? Avoiding the truth is like a debt with interest — the longer you delay payment, the bigger your liability becomes. You can avoid facing it today, but the day of reckoning will come,” she added.

She also responded to the letter sent by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to the upper chamber, where he justified that further participation of Cabinet members “may no longer be necessary.”

According to Senator Marcos, the preliminary findings which was drawn from the Senate panel’s first hearing on March 20 are not sufficient, citing that many questions remained unanswered.

“This hearing should have been an opportunity for our Cabinet members to explain these to the people,” she said.

She also countered her brother’s alter ego’s assertion that further discussions on the matter may constitute violation of subjudice rule, citing the four pending petitions before the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the arrest and surrender of Duterte.

“On the issue of subjudice, we all know — and most importantly, our former Chief Justice knows — that the Supreme Court itself has stated that subjudice is not violated when a Senate inquiry is conducted in aid of legislation,” she said.

“This does not fall under the typical subjudice rule that prohibits public discussion of matters being tried in court. Legislative inquiries are crucial for shaping and strengthening our laws,” she added.

She continued: “There is a well-known saying: ‘Hidden truths are unspoken lies.’ Truth that is concealed is also a lie — and that seems to be what is happening now. By hiding the truth behind executive privilege and subjudice, it appears as though a cover-up is taking place.”