Former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez on Wednesday urged the United States to take former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co into custody, saying the businessman-politician could provide evidence of alleged corruption involving officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as Washington steps up its campaign against the tribunal.

In a Facebook broadcast, Rodriguez linked his appeal to US President Donald Trump’s targeting of the ICC over its issuance of arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials and possible charges against US servicemen serving in other countries, among other concerns.

He said the US State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, should investigate Co over allegations that ICC investigators accepted bribes during the tribunal’s investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

“This would swiftly accomplish the order of President Trump to dismantle the ICC brick by brick,” Rodriguez said.

He cited allegations made by Co last year that millions of pesos were allegedly funneled to ICC investigators through former Senator Antonio Trillanes.

Co had claimed that members of his security team, who came to be called “maleta boys,” personally delivered cash intended for ICC investigators through Trillanes. Both Trillanes and the ICC have denied this.

Rodriguez said Co’s statements and the affidavits executed by the 18 former Marines should be forwarded to the US State Department as evidence that ICC investigators accepted bribes.

He identified ICC Office of the Prosecutor official William Rosato, investigator Glen Kala, and prosecutor Chantal Daniels as having visited the Philippines in December 2023 as part of the ICC’s investigation.

Rodriguez also alleged that Co disbursed P56 million through Trillanes to ICC personnel and financed their accommodations in hotels in Makati while they were conducting investigations in the country.

He, however, did not present any evidence to support his allegations during the broadcast.

“That is why US authorities should arrest Zaldy Co and execute his affidavit in the US. We have to help the US in their will to dismantle the ICC,” Rodriguez said.

He echoed Rubio’s criticism of the tribunal, saying US officials have questioned the ICC’s authority over countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute, including the United States.

Rodriguez also criticized the Marcos administration for continuing to acknowledge what he described as the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines despite the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.

“That is wrong because the moment that we withdrew from the ICC, we didn’t have any obligation anymore,” he said.