Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa's claim that investigators from the International Criminal Court (ICC) are pressuring former police officials to testify against ex-president Rodrigo Duterte and his family in the ongoing drug war probe was dismissed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

In an interview on Tuesday, 27 May, Remulla clarified that while the ICC needs testimonies under oath to move its case forward, there is no evidence of coercion or aggressive pressure tactics from the court’s side.

He said, “That’s not how it works.” “It’s more of an appeal to the person’s sense of propriety, a sense of nationalism, and humanitarian spirit. That’s what we’re seeing, not pressure or coercion.”

The DOJ chief added that, as of now, the Department of Justice has not received official updates from the ICC regarding local witnesses or any efforts to recruit statements from former police officials.

Senator Dela Rosa, who previously served as Duterte’s national police chief and is himself under ICC scrutiny, has repeatedly claimed in public statements that ICC agents have been reaching out to Philippine law enforcement personnel, allegedly pushing them to cooperate against Duterte.

But Remulla appeared to downplay these concerns, emphasizing that any testimonies gathered would need to follow legal standards and be given voluntarily under oath.

The Philippines remains in a legal and diplomatic standoff with the ICC, which is continuing its investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s anti-drug campaign despite the country’s 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute.