Imee attempts anew to visit Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos has traveled to The Hague in a renewed effort to visit detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, after being previously barred by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to Vice President Sara Duterte, Marcos has already submitted a formal request through Duterte’s legal team.

“When I talked with (former) president Duterte inside, I mentioned to him that Sen. Imee is here and she requested again to the ICC through the lawyer if she can enter there,” Vice President Duterte said.

In May, Marcos attempted to visit Duterte at the Scheveningen Prison but was denied entry by ICC authorities.

“President Duterte asked me earlier why Sen. Imee wants to enter. He asked, ‘What will she say?’ I said, ‘Maybe she wants to talk to you.’ (He said) ‘Both of you say the same thing, that it’s all politics.’ And then he said, ‘I believe that she is sincere with her friendship with you as she can choose not to be friends with you, but she wants to be friends with you,’” the Vice President added, quoting her father.

Marcos, meanwhile, reiterated her position against Duterte’s arrest, citing her authorship of Senate Bill 552 or the President Rodrigo Roa Duterte bill, which seeks to criminalize extraordinary rendition.

“This should not happen again because he (former president Duterte) was kidnapped and brought here,” Marcos said.

While she supports the push by Duterte’s allies for his interim release, Marcos acknowledged the ICC’s independent procedures.

“We cannot say anything, because the ICC has their own process but for us in the Philippines, what happened is also against our law, so it needs to be answered,” she said.

Marcos also confirmed that she filed a case before the Office of the Ombudsman against those allegedly involved in Duterte’s arrest.