The International Criminal Court has formally implicated two sitting Philippine senators as alleged co-perpetrators in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case. Prosecutorial documents dated February 13 and published on the ICC’s website identify Senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go among eight current and former officials accused of participating in Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three distinct counts of crimes against humanity, connecting him to at least 76 murders committed during his administration’s war on drugs. The prosecution’s filing states that “Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines through violent crimes including murder.”
Senator Dela Rosa, who previously served as national police chief and primary enforcer of Duterte’s drug war, has been notably absent from public view for several months after previously expressing concerns about potential arrest. Senator Go, recently re-elected by a substantial margin, maintained a long-standing political alliance with Duterte dating back to their time in Davao City governance.
The prosecution document outlines three chronological categories of alleged offenses: 19 murders occurring between 2013-2016 during Duterte’s mayoral tenure in Davao City; 14 targeted killings of so-called “High Value Targets” in 2016-2017; and 43 murders during anti-drug operations against lower-level suspects from 2016-2018.
Duterte is scheduled to undergo a four-day “confirmation of charges” hearing commencing February 23, where ICC judges will determine whether the evidence warrants proceeding to full trial. The court has previously rejected arguments questioning the 80-year-old former leader’s fitness for trial following his arrest and transfer to Netherlands custody in March of last year.