SolGen has Marcos Jr. trust, won’t be asked to quit

MANILA, Philippines — Despite declining to represent the government in petitions seeking to secure the release of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra still enjoys the trust of President Marcos, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos would not seek the resignation of Guevarra, but could not elaborate on the reason for the President’s decision to keep him as the government’s top lawyer.

“They (Marcos and Guevarra) already talked and I also talked to the President about it, and he said his trust in SolGen
Menardo Guevarra has not been lost,” Castro said in a press briefing.

“When I asked him if solgen would resign, he (Marcos) said, ‘I am not seeking his resignation.’ So that’s what he said. His trust in SolGen Menardo Guevarra is still there,” the Palace press officer added.

Duterte, whose war against illegal drugs left more than 6,000 people dead, was arrested on March 11 and is under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Officials said the arrest, which stemmed from complaints for crimes against humanity, was in line with the Philippines’ commitment with the International Criminal Police Organization.

Three of Duterte’s children – Davao City Mayor Sebastian, Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo and Veronica – have challenged before the Supreme Court the validity of the issuance and execution of the ICC warrant.

In a manifestation filed before the high court last Monday, the Office of the Solicitor General said it would recuse itself from the petitions, saying the Philippines has no legal obligation to cooperate with the ICC after the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect in 2019.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that formed the ICC. The Philippines ratified the statute in 2011, but Duterte withdrew the ratification seven years later, after the ICC announced that it would conduct a preliminary examination on his drug war. The withdrawal took effect in March 2019.

Last Tuesday, Castro said Guevarra should assess himself if he is still fit to be solicitor general.

Guevarra said it would be up to the President to decide whether he should continue serving as the government’s top lawyer.