Former Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo challenged Senator Imee Marcos to file an impeachment complaint against her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., if she believes that the administration's actions regarding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte were wrong.
At the 'Meet the Manila Press' Forum on Thursday, Panelo stated that if the Senator is convinced that her brother has committed a mistake, it is up to her to lodge a formal complaint.
The Duterte ally questioned the rationale behind Marcos' decision to exit the administration-backed senatorial slate, Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, and argued that Senator Marcos was "fired" from the slate.
He also claimed that the Presidential sister was merely trying to secure the support of Duterte supporters to improve her standing in the surveys.
"Kaya tignan niyo ang survey niya, ang trajectory niya pabagsak. Kasi nga ang tao wala nang tiwala sa kanya. Nasira na ang kredibilidad niya. Wala nang pagtitiwala. Kaya kahit ano pang gawin niya ngayon, wala," Panelo firmly stated.
Panelo further stated that he did not find the hearing called by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, led by the Senator, convincing.
Meanwhile, he conveyed confidence that the law clearly establishes the government's duty to return former President Duterte to the Philippines.
He then pointed out that it is clear that a petition for a writ of habeas corpus is a legal remedy for a citizen who is unlawfully deprived of their freedom, and that is exactly what happened to former President Duterte.
On March 11, Philippine authorities arrested the 79-year-old Duterte after an arrest warrant was issued by the ICC. He was subsequently transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands.
He faces accusations of crimes against humanity that are said to have taken place in the Philippines between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.
Malacañang previously noted that just before Duterte's arrival, Interpol Manila had sent an official copy of the ICC's arrest warrant, prompting the Prosecutor General of the Department of Justice to enforce it.
