Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday slammed the brief two-day detention of Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes, Ambassador Markus Lacanilao, calling it preferential treatment by those in power.
Marcos questioned why Lacanilao received leniency despite being cited in contempt during an April 10 Senate hearing for his allegedly misleading and evasive responses regarding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s status.
According to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s order, Lacanilao was detained “for a period not exceeding two days.” Marcos argued this deviated from Senate rules, which do not require a show-cause order prior to detention. She also pointed out that Lacanilao was given 11 days before being detained—an apparent double standard compared to the swift action taken against Duterte.
“To add insult to injury, while ordinary citizens are detained until they purge their contempt, Lacanilao gets what seems like a light tap on the wrist,” she said. “The rules appear to favor certain individuals.”
Lacanilao, after failing to justify his conduct in a written explanation to the Senate, was ordered detained. He underwent a medical check during custody and was declared in good health by Senate officials.
As of press time, Escudero has yet to respond to Marcos’ remarks.