Philippine Senators Named Co-Perpetrators in Duterte International Criminal Court Case

Eight current and former officials named in Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been identified as “co-perpetrators”. The list includes two sitting senators, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go.

According to a document released by prosecutors on February 13, the ICC has charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity. The charges allege his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs”. The prosecution claims that Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ’neutralise’ alleged criminals through violent crimes including murder.

Dela Rosa, the former national police chief, has previously stated he believed he faced potential arrest. Go, re-elected in May, was a key lieutenant of Duterte during both his terms as mayor of southern Davao City and president from 2016 to 2022. A representative for Dela Rosa has not yet commented on the document.

The ICC has also allowed the addition of 500 more complainants against Duterte in the trial. The first count against him concerns his alleged involvement in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor of Davao City. The second relates to 14 murders of so-called “High Value Targets” in 2016 and 2017 when Duterte was president. The third charge covers 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations.

Lawyer Kristina Conti, representing several deceased victims’ families, stated that the inclusion of high-ranking officials under Duterte’s presidency shows that the deadly drug war was crafted to ensure impunity.

Source: Al Jazeera