Cabinet officials to skip next Senate probe on Duterte arrest: Imee

Sen. Imee Marcos and Former President Rodrigo Duterte. Jonathan Cellona and Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Members of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s Cabinet will skip the next Senate hearing into former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest, Sen. Imee Marcos said Tuesday.

Sen. Marcos said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin wrote her and Senate President Francis Escudero to invoke executive privilege in not attending the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s inquiry next Thursday.

This, despite the Palace’s earlier remarks that Marcos Jr. would not bar officials from participating in the inquiry. 

"Sino ba ang dapat sundin? Hindi tugma ang sinasabi ni Executive Secretary Bersamin at ni Pangulong Marcos," Sen. Marcos said in a press release. 

"Hindi pwedeng may kanya-kanya silang desisyon. Para saan pa ang salita ng pangulo kung hindi naman pala nila susundin?" she said.

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Sen. Marcos said she hoped Cabinet officials would reconsider their looming absence in the next hearing.    

"Kasi sayang naman ang pagkakataon, maririnig ng tao kung ano talaga nangyari. Kung nagkamali ako, tatanggapin ko naman. At mas maganda yung nagkakaliwanagan. Kasi ‘pag hindi sumisipot, ang duda ng tao may tinatago," she said in an interview released by her office.  

Sen. Marcos justified the subsequent hearing even after she released a preliminary report, saying: "Maraming kasi topic pa rin at yung mga OFW na natin, halimbawa, tinatanong nila kung ano daw impact sa kanila.”

“Kasi kung pwedeng damputin n’yo lang sa Pilipinas, e paaano naman sila nasa labas. At saka kung may kaso sila, may pag-asa pa ba sila iuwi,” she added. 

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In his letter, a copy of which was released by Marcos' office to reporters,  Bersamin cited the attendance of the government officials in the previous committee hearing on March 20, 2025.

"Given the extensive disclosures made, we believe that further participation may no longer be necessary at this time, especially considering that the Honorable Chairperson has publicly relayed her comprehensive findings thereon,” the letter said. 

“We reiterate our position on the extent of executive privilege in these proceedings, which we detailed in our letter of 20 March 2025. We believe that all matters not covered by executive privilege have already been extensively discussed," it added. 

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The same letter cited the 4 petitions pending before the Supreme Court concerning Duterte’s arrest. 

"Accordingly, further discussions on the matters in the agenda of the hearing may constitute violation of the sub judice rule, which could unduly influence the ongoing proceedings," Bersamin said.

"In light of these considerations, we must respectfully decline the invitation to attend the hearing. Nevertheless, we remain available to extend our full cooperation through other appropriate channels, should there be any further clarifications required within the bounds of law," he added. 

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Bersamin, in a text message to Malacanang reporters, said that his office would file a revised letter on Wednesday morning. 

When asked whether this would be significantly different from the one already sent to the Senate, Bersamin responded, “not necessarily.”

Malacanang’s decision to decline the Senate’s invitation comes a day after Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the President would not hinder government officials from attending the Senate probe.

“Katulad naman po ng sinabi natin noong nakaraang araw, hindi naman po pipigilan ng Pangulo ang mga Cabinet members or secretaries kung sila man po ay ipapatawag. At dapat nga namang tugunan, kung ano ang katanungan na ibibigay sa kanila, provided po na ito ay hindi naman magba-violate ng executive privilege, iyon lamang po,” Castro said Tuesday.

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