Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has denied allegations that he acted as an intermediary to bribe International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators, countering that the Duterte family possesses far greater resources to influence the drug war probe.

During a podcast interview with broadcast journalist Carmina Constantino uploaded Saturday, Trillanes maintained his innocence and dismissed the claims as a distraction. He argued that the European investigators are highly professional and resistant to bribery, adding that if corruption were possible, the Dutertes could easily outbid him.

Trillanes accused the Duterte family of instigating the claims to undermine the credibility of the ICC’s independent investigation into extrajudicial drug war killings.

He warned that the allegations could be weaponized by the former President’s legal team to compromise the judicial proceedings in The Hague.

The dispute follows public statements from 18 individuals identifying themselves as former aides of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. During a news conference last week, the group accused Trillanes of receiving $2 million from Co to bribe ICC investigators.

They claimed the funds originated from the administration and were facilitated by Co during his tenure as the chairman of the House appropriations committee.

The former aides alleged they delivered cash-stuffed suitcases to several government and opposition figures, including Trillanes, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, and lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc.

They further claimed they escorted ICC investigators during a December 2023 visit to the Philippines and personally delivered two suitcases, each containing $1 million, to Trillanes.

ICC prosecutors previously denied that their investigation into the drug war received any external funding from the Philippines, stating that all investigative activities rely strictly on a court-approved budget. Observers have also questioned the timing of the allegations, noting they closely coincide with the former president’s confirmation of charges hearing.

Trillanes labeled the accusations an outright lie and pointed to significant inconsistencies in the group’s narrative across four public appearances. He noted that the group initially claimed to have delivered the cash to his private residence before later changing their account to the Quezon City headquarters of Samahang Magdalo, a political organization founded by Trillanes and retired navy officers.

Trillanes denied receiving any administration funding, asserting that his efforts to hold the former president accountable in The Hague were conducted independently. Trillanes was among the opposition lawmakers who filed the initial ICC complaint in June 2017, which contributed to the full investigation and the subsequent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte in March 2025