DILG tracing alleged co-perpetrators in ICC case

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said authorities have begun tracing the whereabouts of individuals named as alleged co-perpetrators in the International Criminal Court case against former president Rodrigo Duterte over his administration’s war on drugs.

In a press briefing at the Quezon City Reception House, Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government is gathering records and locating those identified by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, although no arrest warrants have been issued.

“We are all aware na meron na pinangalanan na con-conspirators but wala pang warrant of arrest so wala kaming actionable document. However we are tracing the people already kung nasaan sila those named except for one na namatay na but we are already tracing them kung nasaan sila para in the event na kailangan mas handa na kami kung ano ang gagawin namin,” Remulla said.

“We are getting all the records, we should have them by this week. I think 2 are abroad, 2 ang nasa Amerika pero makukuha at makukuha yan,” he added.

Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC in connection with his anti-drug campaign, which resulted in thousands of deaths and drew criticism from human rights groups.

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has named eight incumbent and former officials as alleged co-perpetrators, including Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, and former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Also identified were Vicente Danao, former chief of the Philippine National Police Directorate for Operations; the late Camilo Cascolan, who served as PNP chief; former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde; former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran; and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Isidro Lapeña.

Unnamed members of the PNP and other high-ranking government officials were also listed.

Duterte, who will turn 81 on 28 March, was allowed to waive his appearance at the ICC pre-trial but must attend the trial if the charges are confirmed.

He has been detained at the ICC Detention Centre in Scheveningen, The Hague since March 2025.