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Manila: Two sitting Philippine senators, among others, have been identified as “co-perpetrators” in the “crimes against humanity” case against former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to prosecution documents dated February 13 and released publicly late Friday (February 13).
Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go are among eight current and former officials named in the filing.
Duterte, 80, was arrested in Manila in March 2025 and transferred the same day to ICC custody in The Hague, Netherlands. He maintains that his arrest was unlawful.
Charges before the ICC:
ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his role in at least 76 murders linked to his controversial “war on drugs.”
“Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines [including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production] through violent crimes including murder,” the prosecution document reads.
February 23: Confirmation of charges vs Duterte
The former president is scheduled to face a four-day confirmation of charges hearing from February 23, during which ICC judges will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to full trial.
Judges have already rejected arguments that Duterte is unfit to stand trial.
On Friday (February 13, 2026), the ICC also approved the addition of 500 more complainants to the case.
The Senators named
Ronald Dela Rosa
A former Philippine National Police chief, Dela Rosa was the chief enforcer of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign during the early years of the administration.
He has previously said he believed he could face arrest and has reportedly been in hiding for months.
A representative said they had not yet seen the prosecution document.
Christopher Go
Re-elected in May in a landslide victory, Go served as a close aide and long-time political ally of Duterte.
He was a key lieutenant during Duterte’s tenure as mayor of Davao City and throughout his presidency from 2016 to 2022. Go has yet to comment publicly on the development.
It remains unclear whether any of the officials named in the prosecution filing will themselves face formal charges before the court.
Other officials named
Among the eight individuals cited is Vitaliano Aguirre II, who served as justice secretary under Duterte and previously acted as his lawyer in cases involving the alleged “Davao Death Squad.”
ICC-accredited Filipino lawyer Ross Tugade said in a Facebook post that naming multiple former Duterte officials suggests the ICC possesses evidence pointing to a “criminal structure” behind the alleged crimes.
Breakdown of the 3 ICC charges
19 murders (2013–2016)
Alleged killings carried out while Duterte was mayor of Davao City, where he is accused of acting as a co-perpetrator.
14 murders (2016–2017)
Deaths of individuals labelled as “High Value Targets” during Duterte’s first year as president.
43 murders (2016–2018)
Killings during so-called “clearance operations” targeting alleged lower-level drug users or pushers across the Philippines.
Impunity: Lawyer for victims speaks
In a Facebook statement, Kristina Conti, counsel for several families of deceased victims, said it was the first time “significant details” of the ICC case had been publicly disclosed.
She said the naming of high-ranking officials showed that the deadly drug war “was crafted not only to ensure implementation, but to ensure impunity.”
“The involvement of those in the investigating units, which should have acted as the killings happen, is material to the plan. This also emphasizes that the ‘war on drugs’ began in Davao,” Conti said.
Who’s in the ‘Drug War’ hierarchy?
Aside from Duterte, the ICC document identifies individuals as having authority over the triggermen.
The following are named by the ICC as co-perpetrators and their roles in the ‘War on Drugs’:
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Ronald Dela Rosa – Former Philippine National Police chief; operational head and public face of the nationwide anti-drug crackdown.
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Christopher Go – Long-time aide and political lieutenant during Duterte’s Davao and presidential years.
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Vitaliano Aguirre II – Former justice secretary; previously served as Duterte’s lawyer in cases linked to alleged Davao vigilante activities.
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Vicente Danao Jr. – Former Davao City police chief; later PNP counterintelligence chief.
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Isidro Lapeña – Former Davao police chief; later head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
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Oscar Albayalde – Former NCR police chief and later PNP chief.
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Camilo Cascolan – Former PNP chief (now deceased).
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Dante Gierran – Former National Bureau of Investigation chief and head of NBI Davao.
As Duterte awaits the outcome of the February confirmation hearing in The Hague, the naming of sitting senators and senior former officials underscores the widening scope of the ICC’s investigation — and the possibility that accountability, if pursued, could extend beyond the former president himself.
