Imee Marcos to hold Senate probe into Duterte’s arrest on March 20, 2025

Presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos is set to hold a probe into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte over his alleged crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 20, 2025.

“As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I am calling for an urgent investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an issue that has deeply divided the nation,” Marcos said in a statement. 

“It is imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that his legal rights were not only upheld but protected, especially given the involvement of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court,” she added. 

Based on the schedule sent by the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau, the hearing is set on March 20.

''She's free to do that.''

This was the response of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro when asked about the impending Senate probe.

Asked if Malacañang would be ready to send representatives in the event that such an inquiry pushes through in the Senate, Castro said: ''If necessary. If the inquiry is in aid of legislation we will respect the request of Senator Imee.''

She ensured that there would be no effort on the part of the administration to prevent resource persons from attending such a hearing.

''No, we will not do that,'' Castro said.

According to Senator Marcos, she is inviting officials from the Philippine National Police, Department of Transportation-Office for Transport Security, Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, National Security Council, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and other resource persons and witnesses. 

“The Senate must address these critical concerns to uphold the country’s jurisdiction and to clarify policies governing our law enforcement agencies and their engagement with international tribunals,” she said. 

“Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount,” she ended. 

‘Healing, unity’

At a press briefing Monday, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero hoped that the hearing called by Senator Marcos should cause healing and unity and not further divisiveness among Filipinos.

“Sana ang maging dulo ng kanyang pagdinig ay maghilom tayo at magkaroon ng pagkakaisang muli at hindi lalo pang dagdagan yung divisiveness o pagaaway-away natin. Kung yun ang pakay niya sang-ayon ako sa pakay na iyon,” Escudero said.

(May this hearing lead us to healing and to a renewed unity, rather than increasing our divisions or conflicts. If that is her goal, I fully support it.)

“Para mabigyang linaw ang ilang katanungan na mayroon sa ating mga kababayan at mga alinlangan na mayroon sila marahil, kaugnay nito. O mga pangamba na mayroon sila, kaugnay nito. Sana hindi makadagdag yung pagdinig na ‘yan kaugnay sa lalong pag lalim pa ng sugat at hidwaan sa pagitan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

(So we can give clarity on the questions, doubts, and fears of our countrymen regarding this matter. I hope this hearing will not exacerbate the woulds and division among our people.)

Duterte is currently in ICC’s custody in The Hague, Netherlands after Philippine authorities served the warrant of arrest issued by the international tribunal.

In a press briefing late in the evening of March 11, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the arrest was done “because Interpol asked us to do it and we have commitments.”

This was contrary to the President’s previous statements that he won’t let ICC serve any arrest warrant against Duterte as he does not recognize its jurisdiction over the Philippines.

During Duterte’s term in 2019, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute or the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal started a probe into his drug war.

According to the arrest warrant, the ICC pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to believe he was "individually responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder" in connection with the killings blamed on his war on drugs.

It stated that the Duterte Death Squad (DDS) and Philippine law enforcement personnel under his leadership targeted persons allegedly involved in drug-related criminal activities.

Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. —with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/AOL/KG/RSJ, GMA Integrated News