Remulla: I just stated facts on Duterte arrest issue

MANILA, Philippines — “I’m just doing my job stating the facts.” Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said this on Friday in response to Vice President Sara Duterte claiming that he wanted drama when the latter was ordered arrested by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 for grave threats. “I think she has bigger things to mind than me,” Remulla told the Inquirer in a text message. “She has an impeachment trial going on. Maybe her energies are better focused on real-world problems,” he added. The Quezon City court issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest last Sept. 4. Remulla previously said Duterte initially intended to be detained in Camp Crame despite the charges being bailable, but later changed her mind and instead posted P360,000 in bail last Sept. 5. “Ang drama nila, gusto nilang makulong siya. Hindi kami pumayag. We wanted to go according to the rules of law and the rules of court,” Remulla earlier said. (They wanted drama. They wanted her detained. We didn’t allow it. We wanted to follow the rules of law and the rules of court.) Duterte personally appeared before the Quezon City court on Friday morning for arraignment. But the arraignment was deferred after her camp filed a motion. Speaking to reporters after her arraignment was deferred, Duterte said of Remulla’s previous statement, “Siya yung may gusto ng drama. Yung totoong drama, kung makikita ninyo, yung pag-aresto kay Martin Romualdez.” (He is the one who wanted drama. The real drama, if you will see, was the arrest of Martin Romualdez.) She added that their camp will release a statement addressing Remulla’s claims. Romualdez, meanwhile, was arrested for plunder later last Monday in connection with over P7 billion worth of alleged kickbacks in various government projects from 2022 to 2025. He was served his arrest warrant and subjected to booking procedures while in his hospital bed at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City due to a variety of purported ailments, including a “cardiovascular event” and an anxiety attack.