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’Doing what is right and legal’: Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Thursday, April 3, 2025, maintains that the independence of the Senate cannot be measured by a single incident based on the whims of a member of the Senate, but through the direction being pursued by the institution. Escudero made the statement after Sen. Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations investigating the circumstances leading to the arrest and detention of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte by the International Criminal in The Hague, Netherlands, urged the Senate chief to sign the subpoenas against Cabinet executives who, invoking executive privilege, refused to attend the hearing. Escudero reiterated that because of the invocation of executive privilege, which was already affirmed by the Supreme Court, he asked the Senate legal department to further study the chamber’s power to issue subpoenas against executive officials. “This would ensure that our actions will not add to the chaos and will not create a constitutional crisis... which I will not allow to happen or add to the current problems our country is facing.” Escudero told the Senate media. “I will wait for the legal process, but I don't want that the Senate be accused of not being fair, depending on whether they sign or not (the subpoenas). That's not based on that. I will always do what is right and in accordance with the law, and not based on what one or a few members (of the Senate) need or want,” he added. (Senate Public Relations Information Bureau)