Sen. Imee Marcos can continue her inquiry into former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest even without members of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s Cabinet, a Palace official said Wednesday. This, after Malacanang said Cabinet officials will skip the next hearing of Senator Marcos, citing executive privilege.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said executive privilege is a constitutional doctrine that allows the President and high-ranking executive officials to withhold information from other branches of government if it concerns matters of national security, diplomatic relations, military affairs and internal deliberations.

She said Senator Marcos, sister of President Marcos, can continue the inquiry by calling on expert witnesses.

“Pwede niyang ituloy, maaari siyang kumuha ng expert witnesses, eksperto sa batas. Nandiyan si [former Supreme Court] Justice [Antonio] Carpio, [Centerlaw president] Atty. Joel Butuyan…marami na pwedeng maging resource person para hindi niya nasasabi na hindi niya naiintindihan o hindi pa siya napapaliwanagan tungkol sa mga diffusion at sa mga red notice,” Castro said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

She added: “Maraming eksperto na ang nagpaliwanag dyan at yung paliwanag na iyon ay naaayon sa naging desisyon ng pamahalaan.”

Castro denied the government was trying to hide something, saying top officials had already attended Marcos’ first hearing last March 20.

“Kung ‘yan ang balak ng Pangulo, sana sa umpisa pa lang hindi na pinapunta. Ilang oras ba niyang tinanong ‘yung mga Cabinet members, high ranking officials natin. Lahat naman sinagot siya. Halos paulit-ulit na ‘yung tanong niya, lahat naman nasagot na lalo na si [Justice] Sec. Boying Remulla,” she said. 

She pointed out that all the information Marcos needed for her inquiry “in aid of legislation” was already made available. 

“Lahat na naitanong naman na dapat magawa at masabi para sa isang plano na pagbabalangkas ng batas ay sapat na. hindi naman naglihim kaya lang  may mga bagay-bagay na hindi pwedeng isiwalat sa publiko pero lahat naman ng tanong ay natanong na,” she said.

'So walang Red Notice?': Imee questions Interpol request that led to Duterte arrest

Senator Marcos earlier presented her committee’s preliminary findings on Duterte’s arrest, saying the Philippines had no legal obligation to arrest the former leader and turn him over to the ICC, that the government decided to assist the International Criminal Court and that the arrest violated Duterte's rights.

Imee Marcos says PH like a failed state because of Duterte arrest