No grand conspiracy in Rody arrest - Año

He was never part of a “core group” that plotted a “grand conspiracy” to have former president Rodrigo Duterte arrested and turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said yesterday.

- Ghio Ong

Año issued the denial at a hearing by the Senate foreign relations committee on allegations of irregularity in the government’s enforcement of an ICC arrest warrant on Duterte.

Committee chairperson Sen. Imee Marcos sought Año’s comment after insinuating that it was his doing that the administration of her brother, President Marcos made a pivot from its position of non-cooperation with the ICC to helping the foreign tribunal enforce its arrest warrant.

“The implementation of an ICC arrest warrant is beyond my mandate. I am not aware nor am I a member of a core group that allegedly planned and prepared for the arrest of former president Duterte. It was only on Tuesday morning of March 11 that I learned that there was already an Interpol notice, and that the ICC arrest warrant would be served,” Año said.

Año said he was “merely doing my job” as Marcos’ national security adviser.