ICC Names the Fab Five: Bato, Bong Go, Aguirre, Danao, and Gierran Identified as Duterte's Co-Perpetrators in Death Squad Operations
The ICC didn't just come for Duterte on Day 1 — they named names. Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls identified five co-perpetrators who allegedly helped the former president run the Davao Death Squad and carry out thousands of extrajudicial killings across the Philippines.
The five named in open court: Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, the former PNP chief who implemented Oplan Tokhang; Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Duterte's long-time aide and closest political ally; former police chief Vicente Danao; former NBI director Dante Gierran; and former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. All are accused of helping implement Duterte's directives and maintaining the operational structure of the death squads.
"The evidence shows a coordinated chain of command," Nicholls told the pre-trial chamber. "With these co-perpetrators relaying orders, managing the squads, and ensuring that Duterte's instructions were executed." In the prosecution's telling, this wasn't a rogue operation — it was a well-organized machine with clear hierarchy and designated roles.
The naming of two sitting Philippine senators — Bato and Bong Go — as co-perpetrators in an international criminal case is extraordinary. Bato has been MIA from the Senate since November 2025, while Bong Go has maintained a lower profile but continues to serve. Neither has been charged individually at the ICC, but their identification as co-perpetrators puts enormous political and legal pressure on both.
The revelation also raises uncomfortable questions for the Philippine government: two of its elected legislators are now publicly linked to what the ICC characterizes as crimes against humanity. With Day 2 of the hearing set for Tuesday, the prosecution is expected to present even more detailed evidence of the alleged chain of command that ran from Duterte down to the trigger-pullers on the streets.
Source: The Manila Times
