National Security Adviser Eduardo Año attends the motu proprio hearing Thursday (March 20, 2025) conducted by the Committee on Foreign Relations on the supposed involvement of the different government agencies in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on March 11 upon his arrival from Hong Kong and was flown to The Hague in The Netherlands later that day to face trial for charges of crimes against humanity in line with his administration’s war against illegal drugs. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año firmly denied any role in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, dismissing allegations that he was part of a supposed core group that orchestrated the operation.
Testifying before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Año rejected claims of a “grand conspiracy,” calling them “unacceptable and unfair.” He insisted that he played no part in Duterte’s arrest and that his responsibilities were strictly confined to national security concerns.
“My only role was to assess the situation and ensure it did not escalate into a national security threat,” Año stated. He emphasized that the execution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant was beyond his jurisdiction.
Reports had linked Año to a core group—allegedly including President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.—that supposedly planned Duterte’s arrest. However, Año refuted these claims, asserting that he only became aware of the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) Red Notice and the ICC warrant’s impending execution on the morning of March 11.
“There was no intelligence operation,” he clarified, pointing out that Duterte’s whereabouts in Hong Kong and his return to the Philippines were public knowledge and widely covered by the media.
Año described the events of March 11 as “spontaneous,” stressing that his actions were purely in line with his duties as National Security Adviser.
“I serve the country and the Constitution, not any individual. I stand by my actions, knowing that I upheld truth, justice, and the rule of law,” he concluded.