EDITORIAL - In aid of election

The current chief legal counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte has described his turnover to the International Criminal Court as “extrajudicial rendition” and state kidnapping.

Duterte’s camp has also not changed its long-held stand that the ICC lost jurisdiction over killings in the brutal crackdown on drug suspects after he withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC.

Several urgent petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court, urging the high tribunal to invalidate the government’s turnover of Duterte to the ICC through the Interpol, and to compel the government to return him to the Philippines.

The ICC now has Duterte in its custody, with his lawyers preparing to challenge the court’s jurisdiction over him and the manner of his arrest.

Obviously, Duterte’s camp deems his arrest and extradition to The Hague illegal. Equally obvious is that the Philippine government believes its actions were legitimate. Both sides are unlikely to change their views. So whatever probe is conducted by the Senate at this point will simply reinforce those positions.

Malacañang and other administration officials have also provided details about the circumstances leading up to the arrest, and made public the ICC arrest warrant. The officials are unlikely to deviate from their story.

There could be some details that may still be squeezed out, which administration officials have yet to make public, such as the owner of the Gulfstream jet that was chartered to fly Duterte from Manila to The Hague.

Beyond such details, however, which could be obtained through regular press conferences and media interviews, what else might a Senate probe unearth? Will it take on the role of the Supreme Court in ruling on the legality of the government’s actions?

President Marcos’ sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, is reportedly planning to conduct the probe. She has been openly conflicted since her brother had a falling out with her avowed close friend and his UniTeam running mate in 2022, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Senator Marcos is part of the administration’s 12-member Senate slate, although she said she would be campaigning on her own. But she joined the kickoff rally in Laoag for the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, standing beside her brother as he raised the hands of the candidates.

Duterte’s former chief presidential legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, scoffed at the planned Senate probe, dismissing it as a stunt in aid of reelection. He is not the only one who holds this view.