Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero had strong words for Senator Imee Marcos on Friday. He told her not to use the Senate—a place where laws are made and the country’s problems are discussed—for her own political goals or self-promotion.
What’s the issue?
This started when a man named Markus Lacanilao, who is a special ambassador for transnational crimes, was accused of lying during a Senate hearing. The hearing was about whether former President Rodrigo Duterte was really arrested or not. Some senators believed Lacanilao was not telling the truth, especially when he kept saying he didn’t know what happened.
Because of this, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Senator Imee Marcos decided to cite Lacanilao in contempt. That means they wanted him to be punished by the Senate for not telling the truth under oath. They also ordered his arrest and detention.
But here’s the twist…
Escudero didn’t sign the order
Senate President Chiz Escudero refused to sign the order that would officially put Lacanilao in detention. He also didn’t sign the earlier subpoenas (which are legal orders to appear before the Senate). This made Imee very angry.
She said Escudero went too far by actually ordering Lacanilao’s release, even though he supposedly lied many times during the hearing.
But Escudero explained that just because a senator wants something done, doesn’t mean the Senate President has to automatically agree. He said that Imee even showed the arrest order to the media before he got to see it himself.
Escudero also said he only let Lacanilao go for a humanitarian reason—because Lacanilao’s grandfather had just passed away and the family needed to lay him to rest.
Escudero promises to be fair
Even though he didn’t sign the order right away, Escudero said he is still reviewing the case carefully. He plans to issue a “show cause order” to Lacanilao soon. That’s a letter asking Lacanilao to explain himself—why he shouldn’t be punished. He will have 5 days to respond.
Only after hearing Lacanilao’s side will Escudero decide whether or not to approve the contempt order.
Chiz also told the public not to worry—he promises to do what is right and follow the law, not any personal or political agenda.
“I will not let the Senate be used for someone’s personal goals,” he said. “Especially not by those who are just trying to get more attention before the next elections.”
Imee feels disrespected
Senator Imee Marcos was not happy. She said that Escudero insulted the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which she leads. She said that letting Lacanilao walk free after lying made the Senate look weak.
She also reminded everyone that the Senate has the power to punish people who lie during hearings so it can protect itself and do its job well.
“If people can lie to the Senate and not get punished, how can we do our jobs?” she said.
Imee believes that Chiz’s actions hurt the Senate’s image and were unfair to her committee, which worked hard on the investigation.
