ICC Drops the Hammer: Bato, Bong Go Named as Duterte Drug War Co-Perpetrators
The International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor dropped a bombshell last week, naming eight current and former Philippine officials as alleged co-perpetrators in the charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte. Among those named are Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa — once Duterte's top cop and the man who launched the bloody war on drugs — and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Duterte's long-time aide-de-camp. The document, dated February 13 and posted to the ICC's website on Friday, paints a picture of a coordinated chain of command responsible for thousands of killings.
According to the ICC prosecutors, "handlers" who supervised the killers reported to a combination of police officers and the named co-perpetrators, who in turn answered directly to Duterte. The charges allege that Duterte was the key architect of a "common plan" to violently eliminate individuals perceived as criminals — drug dealers and users — through what the prosecution describes as indirect co-perpetration, ordering, inducing, and aiding and abetting violent acts. Grabe — yung magnitude ng kaso na ito ay hindi basta-basta.
The Malacañang Palace quickly fired back, saying those named shouldn't hide if they have nothing to be ashamed of. Presidential spokesman Jose Villaroel urged the co-perpetrators to face the process head-on, framing transparency as the correct response. Both Dela Rosa and Go have previously denied any criminal liability in the drug war killings, with Dela Rosa insisting the anti-drug campaign was carried out within the bounds of the law.
Being named a "co-perpetrator" in ICC documents doesn't automatically mean an arrest warrant will be issued — but it significantly raises the legal stakes for those involved. Legal experts note that the naming signals the prosecutor's intention to pursue broader accountability beyond Duterte himself. If warrants are eventually sought and issued, it would create a massive diplomatic headache for the Philippine government, which has been cooperating with the ICC process only to a limited degree.
The development sends shockwaves through the Philippine political landscape, particularly in the Senate where both Dela Rosa and Go continue to hold their seats. Human rights groups, who have long demanded accountability for the estimated thousands killed in Duterte's drug war, are calling the naming a significant step forward. International pressure on the Philippines to cooperate fully with the ICC is expected to intensify in the coming weeks. Source: Al Jazeera, Rappler, Philstar.com, PNA
