Cabinet declines Senate hearings over Duterte arrest, cites executive privilege

Sen. Imee Marcos announced that members of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Cabinet will not attend upcoming Senate hearings regarding former president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin cited executive privilege and pending Supreme Court petitions as reasons for declining further participation in the inquiry, noting potential violations of the sub judice rule if discussions continued on matters under judicial consideration.

During Thursday's hearing, Sen. Marcos lamented the absence of Cabinet officials and emphasized that executive privilege should not be used as a blanket shield to avoid answering Senate questions.

Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa moved to subpoena executive officials during his first physical appearance in the Senate since Duterte's arrest on March 11, raising concerns about a potential constitutional crisis.

Senate President Francis Escudero is reviewing subpoenas for Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon and an unnamed Philippine Air Force Chief Arthur Cordura to see how they align with executive privilege.

Imee Marcos urged Cabinet members to reconsider their planned absence in the succeeding hearings, emphasizing new information and Supreme Court decisions supporting the Senate's authority to conduct investigations.

On Thursday, April 3, Cabinet officials again declined to attend a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing regarding Duterte's arrest at the ICC, citing executive privilege and sub judice rule.