Marcos won't let Guevarra go – Palace

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not ask for the resignation of Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, Malacañang said on Thursday. "I asked the President, and his reply was 'I will not ask him to resign,'" Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in Filipino at a briefing. Earlier this week, Guevarra said he intended to recuse from the consolidated habeas corpus petitions filed by Veronica "Kitty" Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte before the Supreme Court over the arrest of their father and former president, Rodrigo Duterte. Guevarra's announcement triggered calls for him to resign or for the President to fire him. Guevarra said the "President alone can say" if he can still be trusted to stay on as the government's top lawyer. He opted to not represent the respondents in the petitions, led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, because of his stand that the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have any jurisdiction in the Philippines. He, however, did not explicitly state that the arrest of Duterte, by means of the government acquiescing with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was illegal. Duterte, who is accused of committing crimes against humanity during his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, was arrested by the Interpol last March 11. The 79-year-old made his first appearance at the ICC three days later in a pretrial hearing where the judges verified his identity, informed him of the charges he faces and enumerated his rights. Duterte will appear again before the tribunal on Sept. 23.