Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Is the appointment of Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao a reward for bringing former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Hague last March?This was the question of Senator Rodante Marcoleta when the LTO official, along with other officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies, attended the Senate plenary deliberation on their proposed 2026 budget on Thursday. Lacanilao previously served as Special Envoy on Transnational Crime and accompanied Duterte to the Hague after his arrest.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/duterte-stoically-awaiting-icc-ruling-on-appeal-for-interim-release-lawyer-says-1653">Duterte ‘stoically awaiting’ ICC ruling on appeal for interim release, lawyer says</a></div>“Nang dahil ba kayo po ay inihatid ninyo ang Pangulong Duterte sa the Hague, ito po ba ang kabayaran?” Marcoleta asked. “Ito po ba ay premyo? Kasi kailangan nating ma-disabuse po ang pagdududa ng mga kababayan natin. Hindi naman po kayo ang dapat na maghatid sa kanya doon eh.” Senator JV Ejercito, DOTr’s budget sponsor, said, “According to Asec. Lacanilao, being with the OSETC, they are on top of the Interpol po kaya po sila po’y kasama.”“The PCTC is the Philippine Center for Transnational Crimes,” Marcoleta replied. “It should have been the Executive Director of the PCTC who should have accompanied the former President, even if we assume that that was regular.”Lacanilao, through Ejercito, maintained that the PCTC is the operational arm of the Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crime (OSETC). The former envoy also said there was a document that allowed him to accompany Duterte, but Marcoleta claimed that there was none.“There was already an admission on the part of Ambassador Lacanilao then, nung naghi-hearing ang isang committee in the senate on the arrest of FPRRD. Na nagvolunteer ka lang eh because there is no available official of PCTC o walang personnel kaya ikaw  ang nag-volunteer. There is a transcript to this effect that you just volunteered,” Marcoleta said. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/19/comelec-to-issue-show-cause-order-to-marcoleta-over-campaign-contributions-1733">Comelec to issue show cause order to Marcoleta over campaign contributions </a> </div>According to Ejercito, “Inaamin po ni Asec. Lacanilao na siya po ay nag-volunteer… Noong siya po ay nag-boluntaryo kinakailangan daw mabigyan ng dokumento para po siya ay makaalis.” Marcoleta earlier asked for the credentials of Lacanilao, who said he is a civil engineer and a road safety advocate. Lacanilao was also a former Assistant Secretary of Civil Defense, and his family had a bus company. Marcoleta said he is not questioning the wisdom of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but thinks the latter was ill-advised regarding the appointment of Lacanilao. DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said they defer to the wisdom of the President.<div>  </div>

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao previously served as Special Envoy on Transnational Crime and accompanied Duterte to the Hague after his arrest.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao previously served as Special Envoy on Transnational Crime and accompanied Duterte to the Hague after his arrest.

Marcoleta asks: Is Lacanilao's appointment as LTO chief reward for sending Duterte to the Hague?

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Marcoleta asks: Is Lacanilao's appointment as LTO chief reward for sending Duterte to the Hague?

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 27, 2025 07:30 PM PHT

Read More:

LTO

Markus Lacanilao

Rodante Marcoleta

Rodrigo Duterte

The Hague

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