MANILA (UPDATED) — Senate President Francis Escudero has ordered the detention of Ambassador Markus Lacanilao who was held in contempt by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for testifying evasively during its investigation of the arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the Philippine government to the International Criminal Court to stand trial for crimes against humanity.

Lacanilao personally handed over Duterte to the ICC.

"After careful evaluation, Amb. Lacanilao is hereby ordered placed under the custody of the Senate of the Philippines for a period not exceeding two days, having failed to satisfactorily explain through a clear statement of facts, why his answers during the hearing were not evasive," Escudero said in his order. 

"Further he is admonished to attend future hearings and provide truthful answers to questions propounded during the inquiry."

A show cause order was issued to Lacanilao on April 11 after the committee made its ruling on April 10.

By April 15, Lacanilao sent a reply to the show cause order explaining why he should not be held in contempt and reiterating his lack of personal knowledge as to whether Duterte was presented before competent national judicial authorities.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Roberto Ancan sent a memorandum to Secretary Renato Bantug stating that Lacanilao received his detention order.

Senate spokesperson Arnel Jose Bañas confirmed that Lacanilao, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, is now in Senate custody.

"A copy of the Order was sent to the Office of the Special Envoy for Transnational Crime at 3 o’clock in the afternoon today, after which, his legal counsel immediately proceeded to the Office of the Senate Secretary to confirm the said Order. Ambassador Lacanilao voluntarily presented himself before the Senate to personally receive and comply with the Order," Bañas said, 

"Ambassador Lacanilao went through standard procedure and was checked by the Medical and Dental Bureau. He shall remain in the custody of the Senate for a period not exceeding two (2) days."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Imee Marcos on Tuesday lamented Lacanilao's delayed and brief detention, calling it a slap on the wrist.

"Ambassador Lacanilao was cited by the Committee for direct contempt. Lacanilao should have been detained immediately since the rules do not even mention a need for a show-cause order," she said.

"However, instead of immediate detention,  Lacanilao was given 11 days before he was eventually ordered to be detained. In contrast, it took the administration only several hours to arrest and whisk FPRRD out of the country," she added. "Furthermore, to add insult to injury, Lacanilao is to be detained for only two days."

While ordinary people are locked up until they purge themselves of the contempt, as sanctioned by Section 18, Resolution No. 5, Series of 2010, as amended, Lacanilao is given an ever so gentle slap on the wrist."

"Apparently, the rules only apply to ordinary people and not to people like Lacanilao who is favored by the powers that be."