Senator Imee Marcos continues to push for the truth about the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Marcos sent a letter to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on April 1, in response to his refusal to send Cabinet members to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on April 3, 2025.
According to the senator, the reasons provided by Malacañang to decline the Senate’s invitation were insufficient. She emphasized that the presence of government officials at the hearing is crucial to clarify issues that have previously emerged and to answer questions raised during earlier hearings.
“The Committee is keen to provide the executive officials an opportunity to clarify issues and questions that surfaced last hearing. There are likewise new pieces of information that the Committee has received, and in the interest of fairness and transparency, the Committee would like to give executive officials a chance to explain their side relative to these new pieces of information,” she said in her letter.
Marcos also stressed that there are decisions from the Supreme Court supporting the Senate authority to conduct investigations as part of their duties, regardless of any ongoing cases.
“The power of legislative inquiry is an essential component of legislative power. The same cannot be made subordinate to a criminal or an administrative investigation or to special civil actions pending before the Supreme Court,” she added.
The sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also reminded that executive privilege cannot be used as an excuse to avoid accountability to the public. “I hope that you reconsider your decision and allow the invited Cabinet members to attend the scheduled hearing.”IMT
