The Ombudsman (a high-ranking official who checks if government workers are doing the right thing) has told several important leaders to explain why former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested.
The people who were told to respond are:
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Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
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Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla
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PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief Rommel Marbil
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Markus Lacanilao, the country’s Special Envoy on Transnational Crime
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Police Major General Nicolas Torre from the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group)
What’s This All About?
On March 11, former President Duterte was arrested at the NAIA airport right after he got back from Hong Kong. The arrest was based on an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The ICC says Duterte may have committed crimes against humanity because of the thousands of people who died during his war on drugs when he was President.
Now, some people believe that the arrest might not have been done properly. That’s why Senator Imee Marcos sent a report to the Ombudsman, asking them to look into it.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which she leads, believes some crimes may have been committed by the officials during the arrest, including:
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Arbitrary detention (keeping someone in jail without the right process)
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Usurpation of judicial functions (acting like a judge when you’re not)
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Giving false testimony (lying in an official way)
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Perjury (lying under oath)
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Grave misconduct (acting very badly in office)
What Did the Ombudsman Say?
The Ombudsman told these officials to respond to these complaints. If they don’t send their side of the story (called a counter-affidavit) on time, it will be like giving up their chance to defend themselves, and the investigation will move forward without their side.
The order was signed on May 6 by Deputy Ombudsman Nellie Golez.
Why Is This a Big Deal?
Even though Duterte is no longer President, some people believe that what happened during his time in office should be investigated — especially the thousands of deaths connected to the war on drugs. The ICC wants to look into these cases, and according to a 2021 ruling by the Philippine Supreme Court, the country must cooperate with the ICC as long as the crimes happened while the Philippines was still part of the ICC.
Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in March 2018, but the exit became official only in March 2019. So, crimes that may have happened before that are still under investigation.
