The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) on Sunday denounced what it called repeated “transgressions” by the International Criminal Court (ICC), as an international human rights coalition intensified calls for the tribunal to issue arrest warrants against former and sitting Philippine officials linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
The PDP accused the ICC of violating Philippine sovereignty by pursuing what it described as illegal indictments against officials elected by Filipinos, despite what the party said was the court’s lack of jurisdiction following the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
In a statement, the party cited Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, both PDP members, as among those named by ICC prosecutors as alleged co-perpetrators in crimes against humanity charges tied to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
“The seeming cooperation of certain Filipinos in undermining the independence of our country through the ICC is despicable. History shall judge these traitors unkindly, sooner rather than later,” the PDP said.
The party also accused the Marcos administration of enabling the ICC to advance what it described as a political agenda aimed at weakening the opposition and diverting attention from alleged corruption, claims the administration has denied.
“The PDP steadfastly stands not only behind, but beside and even in front of every Filipino whose rights are being violated, both by the present autocratic regime and its international neo-liberal cohorts,” the party said, adding it was prepared to fight “with every legal means at our disposal.”
‘Flight risks’
The PDP statement came as the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines ramped up pressure on the ICC to swiftly issue arrest warrants against officials publicly named in a lesser redacted version of the court’s Document Containing the Charges released on 13 February.
“It remains abundantly clear that the Philippine judicial system is unable to prosecute these alleged co-perpetrators,” ICHRP chairperson Peter Murphy said. “While still at large, they are a risk for destruction of evidence, intimidation of witnesses and also flight risks.”
The ICC is set to hold a confirmation of charges hearing against Duterte on 23 February, with additional sessions scheduled for 24, 26 and 27 February. The hearing will determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to move the case to a full trial.
In an earlier ruling, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected defense motions seeking Duterte’s release, adjournment of proceedings, or dismissal of the case on grounds of alleged unfairness.
Among those named by prosecutors as alleged co-perpetrators were Go, dela Rosa, former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, and several former chiefs of the Philippine National Police.
Dela Rosa, widely identified as the architect of “Oplan Tokhang,” has not attended Senate sessions since November 2025 after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that an arrest warrant had been issued against him.
Denials
Go and Aguirre have both denied involvement in the alleged crimes. In a statement sent to reporters, Aguirre rejected claims that he was part of a “common plan” to carry out extrajudicial killings.
ICC prosecutors allege that Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a plan to “neutralize” suspected criminals through violent crimes, including murder, from at least 1 November 2011 to 16 March 2019.
They said Go served as Duterte’s longtime aide in Davao City and later in Malacañang, while dela Rosa was Davao City police chief and later Philippine National Police chief.
Aguirre acknowledged that he served as legal counsel for Duterte and alleged members of the so-called Davao Death Squad in 2009, but said this was part of his professional duties as a lawyer and did not amount to participation in any killings.
He also stressed that the Philippines was not yet a member of the ICC at the time.