Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo criticized Senator Imee Marcos's plan to investigate the circumstances surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"Anong iimbestigahan niya? Para lang malaman kung legal? Susmaryosep. Siya ay tapos ng abogasiya, hindi siya abogado pero nagtapos siya. Alam niyang illegal (What is she going to investigate? Just to find out if it's legal? She has finished law school, she's not a lawyer, but she graduated. She knows it's illegal)," Panelo said during a OnePH program.
Senator Marcos was notably absent from the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas grand rally in Tacloban City on 14 March. The coalition is backed by the Marcos administration.
In a statement on her Facebook page, Senator Marcos cited Duterte's recent arrest as the reason for skipping the event.
Despite Panelo's criticism, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified during a Monday press briefing that Senator Marcos is free to pursue a Senate investigation regarding the events that led to Duterte’s arrest and subsequent transfer to The Hague.
Duterte was flown to The Hague, Netherlands, on 11 March aboard a chartered plane funded by the Office of the President. Upon arrival, he was taken to the ICC detention center and made his first court appearance via video link on 14 March.
Currently, Duterte remains in ICC custody. His family and allies continue to call for his release, while his supporters have rallied against what they describe as an unjust intervention in Philippine sovereignty.