MANILA — A Malacañang official called for a "balanced" Senate hearing led by presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

This, as Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said she expects that the Senate hearing will show the truth behind Duterte’s arrest.

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However, she claimed that government officials present before the committee were allegedly limited to speak for getting interrupted by the senator’s stories.

“Inaasahan natin mapakita talaga ang katotohanan kung anong nangyari pero sana mapagbigyan kasi parang nakita natin sa hearing, hindi halos makapagsalita ‘yung ating mga opisyal at natatabunan ng mga kwento ni Sen. Imee,” Castro said in a television interview Thursday, March 20.

“Sana maging balanse lang po sana,” the Palace official added.

Duterte was arrested last March 11 after returning home from a trip from Hong Kong in the face of rumors an ICC warrant had been issued.

The ICC warrant for his arrest says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.

He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity for his deadly drug war.

Duterte on March 14 appeared via video link before ICC judges in a hearing branded by the Palace as a "fair trial." He is set to attend a September 23 hearing to confirm the charges against him.