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 (ICC), a lawyer for the Duterte Panagutin Campaign Network said Monday.
Interviewed on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront, Atty. Jojo Lacanila said the group is prepared to file charges against other alleged co-perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte if the ICC decides not to prosecute them.
“Absolutely,” Lacanila said when asked whether the network would pursue cases should the ICC decline to go after certain individuals.
His remarks followed an earlier statement by ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang that the court is not necessarily interested in prosecuting all alleged perpetrators, but focuses on those deemed most responsible for the crimes under investigation.
Lacanila stressed that the accountability campaign “cannot be dropped,” arguing that liability should not end with the personalities currently identified in ICC proceedings.
He said several police generals, colonels and majors were allegedly involved in implementing Oplan Tokhang during Duterte’s term as Davao City mayor and later as president.
While some names have yet to surface in ICC hearings, Lacanila noted that admissions and testimonies were discussed in congressional inquiries, including those conducted by the House Quad Committee.
The ICC prosecution, in its pre-confirmation submission, discussed figures allegedly part of the network surrounding Duterte during the Davao period.
Among those mentioned were Senator Ronald dela Rosa, former police chief Vicente Danao, Senator Bong Go, former National Bureau of Investigation regional director Dante Gierran, and former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
Lacanila acknowledged that the decision to seek additional arrest warrants rests solely with the ICC prosecutor, who may choose to pursue all eight individuals reportedly identified as co-perpetrators or only a select few, depending on available evidence, logistics, and resources.
“Trials in the ICC take a long time and require significant effort and resources,” he said, adding that the court may prioritize what it considers the main perpetrator, who is already detained.
Still, Lacanila maintained that domestic remedies remain an option if international prosecution proves limited.
“Our hope is really that justice will prevail. If not, impunity will reign. That’s not the kind of country we want to leave to our children and grandchildren,” he said.