Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo has criticized Senator Imee Marcos’ plan to investigate the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The presidential sister had announced her intention to conduct the investigation, with hearings scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 20.
Panelo dismissed the plan as unnecessary and a mere publicity stunt ahead of the 2025 elections.
The former Duterte appointee questioned the purpose of the investigation.
If the aim is to determine the legality of the arrest, Panelo argued that Senator Marcos, being a law graduate, should already know it was illegal.
Panelo further stated that Senator Marcos was aware of the illegality of the arrest, which is why she reportedly did not attend the Alyansa rally, suggesting she could not reconcile her stance with the party’s actions.
Senator Imee Marcos is a senatorial candidate for the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
However, following Duterte’s arrest, she chose not to attend the party’s rally in Tacloban City, reportedly because she could not accept what had happened to the former president.