MANILA — Marcos administration officials tagged in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant would comply with the Ombudsman’s order to submit their counter-affidavits, Malacanang said Wednesday.

The Ombudsman’s order stemmed from Sen. Imee Marcos' request for the Ombudsman to probe high-ranking officials involved in Duterte’s arrest by the International Police in March. Those ordered to respond to the criminal and administrative charges were Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, and Special Envoy for Transnational Crime Markus Lacanilao. 

Imee Marcos asks Ombudsman to probe officials involved in Duterte's arrest

“Alam natin kung ano ang kapangyarihan ng Ombudsman, sa napakabilis na pag-aksyon ng Ombudsman sa reklamong ito ni Senator Imee Marcos, tayo naman po ay tutugon,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said when asked for comment.

“Ang mga nasabing opisyal ay tutugon po at sila ay magsa-submit ng kanilang counter-affidavits at muli ay sasabihin natin na ang kanilang ginawa ay naaayon sa batas,” she continued.

“Unang-una lagi namang sinasabi ng Pangulo, sundin ang batas, kung ano ang procedure na valid at legal, dapat lamang sundin," she added.

Malacanang earlier said that Duterte’s ICC arrest complied with Philippine laws and the country’s obligations as a member of the Interpol.

Marcos says Duterte arrest part of PH’s obligation to Interpol

Vice President Sara Duterte in a recent interview said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should be held accountable for the arrest of her father.

"Dapat siyang managot kasi that is an impeachable offense. It's a culpable violation of the constitution and betrayal of public trust because they allowed a foreign jurisdiction to intervene in our national sovereignty," the Vice President said in a media interview in Kidapawan City, Cotabato.

'Blatant affront to our sovereignty': Sara Duterte decries father's arrest

But Castro said: “Unang-una po ang administrasyon ay gumawa ng hakbang na naaayon sa batas at ito po ay in cooperation with the Interpol. Ang pamahalaan nagsuko man po kay dating Pangulong Duterte, ito po ay kinukunsiderang isang akusado sa crimes against humanity particularly murder, na ang nagsampa rin po ay kapwa Pilipino na diumano biktima ng extrajudicial killings sa ilalim ng madugong war on drugs.”  

“Ang ginawa ng pamahalaan ay hindi naman pagsuko ng soberanya, kundi pagsuko ng isang akusado,” she added. 

Castro reiterated Marcos' previous statement that he would not “preside on any process that will abandon even one square inch of the territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power.”

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