Julia Christine Botin

Ombudsman denies giving Imee Marcos 'special treatment'

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - Ombudsman Samuel Martires has denied giving Senator Imee Marcos special treatment on the complaint she filed against government officials on the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court. </p><p>Martires on Friday said giving due course to the complaint of Marcos was similar to the complaints of former Senator Richard Gordon and Senator Risa Hontiveros on the Pharmally controversy. </p><p>Martires noted that Gordon and Hontiveros did not also submit a committee report, similar to the chairman’s report submitted by Marcos. </p><p>“We did not give, or I did not give special treatment to Imee na i-entertain, kasi sinasabi nila ano ito, masamang timing parang pulitika, hindi naman ako pulitiko eh,” Martires said. </p><p>Martires also clarified that the fact-finding investigation phase in his office has been scrapped last month. </p><p>He added that upon assumption of office, his goal was to shorten the process amid criticisms that cases in the Office of the Ombudsman usually takes years to resolve. </p><p>Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, one of the respondents in the complaint of Marcos, raised the issue of apparent skipping of the fact-finding process and imeddiately proceeding to the preliminary investigation stage. </p><p>“Effective April 21, 2025 lahat ng kasong papasok, ay ido-double docketing agad, raffled to a bureau and then from a bureau to a lawyer, an investigator and then immediately the investigator will determine, will issue an order to file a counter-affidavit,” Martires said. </p><p>Martires also responded to the statement of Remulla that the Ombudsman should instead focus its efforts on cases that have been pending for a long time such as the Pharmally cases. </p><p>Martires said the Pharmally criminal cases are already in court and only the administrative complaint is still pending with the Office of the Ombudsman. </p><p>“Biro mo bawat isang respondent 58,000 pages ang bibigyan mo ng attachment hindi biro iyon iyong mag-reproduce ka ng sabihin mo na lang na labing-isa na lang iyong akusado di ba, 11 time 59,000 pages di ba, so di biro iyon,” Martires said.</p><p>Duterte was arrested on March 11  on his arrival from Hong Kong at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of its probe into his &quot;war on drugs&quot; that defined his presidency.</p><p>The ICC warrant for Duterte&#x27;s arrest said that as president, the 80-year-old Duterte allegedly created, funded, and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.</p><p>He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day he was arrested.</p><p>Duterte on March 14 appeared via video link before ICC judges. He is set to attend a September 23 hearing to confirm the charges against him. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qXBleBgGKkA??si=T8ugffvJKF_4-Cpa&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>Ombudsman Samuel Martires has denied giving Senator Imee Marcos special treatment on the complaint she filed against government officials on the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court.</p>

Ombudsman Samuel Martires has denied giving Senator Imee Marcos special treatment on the complaint she filed against government officials on the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court.