Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday admitted meeting with International Criminal Court (ICC) personnel to discuss the protection of Filipino witnesses in the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

He said former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV introduced him to the ICC personnel around a year ago to discuss witness protection. He said he met with them being the justice secretary at the time.

Remulla said they discussed the need to protect the witnesses in the ICC case, and that as justice secretary he was responsible for protecting the Filipino witnesses.

He said the action by the Department of Justice to help the ICC witnesses was legally and morally aboveboard.

“I said why not? What was at stake here were the witnesses’ lives. We need to protect human life to the best of our ability,” Remulla said.

The issue cropped up after lawyer Levito Baligod accused Remulla of committing graft for meeting with ICC personnel, saying the meeting caused “undue damage to government.”

Baligod, however, did not give a categorical answer when asked what undue damage was caused by Remulla’s actions.

“Well, I will not tell you now the possible connection. There is a kidnapping case that the Duterte family filed,” he said.

Baligod was referring to the kidnapping charge filed by the family of the former president over his arrest and detention in an ICC facility.

Submit affidavit

The lawyer last week went to the Ombudsman to submit the joint affidavit of 18 former Marines who alleged that ex-Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co had instructed them to deliver suitcases of money to several persons.

But Remulla said the affidavit does not hold water as it is.

“We will ask Attorney Baligod to submit the affidavit of each of the 18 so we would know if what they are alleging is indeed of their personal knowledge,” he said.

Remulla said it appeared to be a patchwork of 18 allegations made into one affidavit, which is not how an affidavit should be done.

Expanded campaign eyed

The campaign to hold more officials accountable for the bloody anti-drug war will not stop with the individuals currently under scrutiny at the International Criminal Court, a lawyer for the Duterte Panagutin Campaign Network said Monday.

Lawyer Jojo Lacanila said the group is prepared to file charges against the other alleged co-perpetrators of former president Duterte if the ICC decides not to prosecute them.

“Absolutely,” Lacanila said when asked if the network would pursue cases should the ICC decline to go after certain individuals.

His remarks followed a statement by ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang that the court is not necessarily interested in prosecuting all alleged perpetrators, but will focus on those deemed most responsible for the crimes under investigation.