Malacañang clarified Tuesday that the executive privilege invoked by Cabinet members will not obstruct the Senate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Presidential Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, emphasized that Cabinet members still participated in the Senate hearing and addressed questions outside the scope of the invoked privilege.
“No. It is the right of the President and the administration to exercise this executive privilege, especially if the matter is confidential in nature,” Castro stated in an interview with GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita.
“But they still attended. They attended and answered questions that are not covered by executive privilege. There is nothing that will hinder the investigation here,” she added.
Castro highlighted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not prevent Cabinet members from participating in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee probe, which is chaired by Senator Imee Marcos.
Earlier, Malacañang said the administration has yet to make a commitment on whether they will cooperate, if the ICC requests to freeze the assets of the former president.
“There is no commitment on our part, on the part of the administration, if we will comply with any order issued by the ICC—considering that the ICC, as of the moment, has no jurisdiction over the Philippines,” Castro said in a Malacañang briefing on Tuesday.
Castro’s remarks came after reports that a freeze order on Duterte’s might be released any time as part of the ongoing investigation on the charges of crimes against humanity against the former president.
In a separate statement, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Matthew David said if a request arises, it would be assessed in coordination with other government offices to determine the appropriate response.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Executive privilege won’t hinder Senate probe on Duterte arrest.”