ICC check under scrutiny over Baligod’s allegations

A filing is set for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to determine if its investigators conducted a genuine probe in the Philippines, according to claims made by Attorney Levi Baligod, former counsel of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy.

“Meaning, for the ICC to determine whether these investigators conducted a genuine investigation in the Philippines,” he explained in an exclusive interview on DZRH.

Baligod said Paul Estrada and Mark Ticsay, operatives of former representative Zaldy Co who handled suitcases of money in a Makati building, were alerted when foreign officials arrived.

“And then these soldiers were the ones who picked up these officials at the airport. Sonny Trillanes was the one providing the contact number,” he said in Filipino, detailing the former senator’s alleged involvement.

He said the Marines escorted the visitors to designated condominiums and hotels, with security personnel accompanying them whenever they went out.

“It was only later that they realized these people were from the ICC. Since they were photographed, they could no longer deny it,” Baligod said. “So the ICC was moving in and out of the Philippines around 2024 to 2025.”

Baligod, a prominent litigator known for handling high-profile criminal cases like the PDAF scam, expressed skepticism about the ICC’s reach, noting that it primarily influences developing countries and has not enforced arrest warrants against leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, or entities like the US Department of Defense.

“I will provide the embassies of the different ICC member states with this information so they can review if their contributions to the ICC are still valid, given the conduct of these investigators,” he said.

Defiance of US sanctions

The alleged payoff to ICC investigators probing crimes against humanity linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte — who is considered a protected person under US President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14203 — was called a direct violation of the order by Duterte supporters.

The Masa Sara Duterte Alliance (MASADA) said the claims by 18 former Marines that they delivered P805 billion to unnamed government officials — including $2 million or P116 million for the expenses of ICC investigators —constituted defiance of the US sanctions.

MASADA was responding to reports that the US State Department is preparing broad sanctions targeting ICC officials and organizations involved in investigations of Israel and other US allies, including the Philippines.

Under Trump’s EO, any person or business group that assists in the investigation, arrest, or detention of Duterte at the ICC in The Hague could face sanctions. This includes freezing of all US assets, reporting to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and restrictions on companies owned 50 percent or more by sanctioned individuals.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV confirmed that ICC officials visited the country in December 2023 but denied receiving the $2 million from Co.