Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday rebuked Sen. Imee Marcos, urging her to stop using the Senate as a platform for her personal political agenda following the controversial detention of Ambassador Markus Lacanilao.
Escudero made the statement after Marcos accused him of refusing to sign the contempt order against Lacanilao, the Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes, who was cited in contempt and briefly detained for allegedly lying to the Senate panel investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte’s trip to the Netherlands.
According to Escudero, Marcos prematurely released a statement to the media and flaunted the signed arrest and detention order before he could even receive or review a copy.
“Ambassador Lacanilao was ordered detained without the requisite approval and due process,” Escudero said. “After several hours of unauthorized detention, I directed his release—both as a matter of regularity and out of humanitarian consideration, as his grandfather is to be laid to rest today.”
Despite this, Escudero said he remains committed to upholding due process. He announced that a show cause order would be issued within the day, requiring Lacanilao to explain within five days why he should not be cited for contempt by the Senate foreign relations panel.
“I shall decide on whether or not to sign his arrest or detention only thereafter,” he added.
Escudero emphasized that the Senate is an institution governed by rules, not a stage for personal or political theatrics.
