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TWO sitting Philippine senators have been identified by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court as alleged “co-perpetrators” in the crimes against humanity case brought against former president Rodrigo Duterte, according to documents published by the court.
AFP, on Saturday, cited the filing, dated February 13, naming Senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go among eight current and former officials said to have participated in a common plan linked to Duterte’s controversial anti-drugs campaign.
ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, accusing him of involvement in at least 76 murders carried out during his so-called “war on drugs”.
“Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines [including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production] through violent crimes including murder,” the prosecution document states.
Dela Rosa, a former national police chief widely regarded as the chief enforcer of the anti-drugs drive, has previously acknowledged he believed he might face arrest. He has largely stayed out of public view in recent months.
Go, who was re-elected to the Senate in May in a landslide victory, served as a close aide to Duterte during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and later as president. Both senators are cited in connection with alleged acts committed during Duterte’s mayoralty and presidency.
Also named in the filing is former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who previously acted as Duterte’s lawyer in cases connected to the alleged Davao Death Squad.
The charges against Duterte span three distinct periods. The first count concerns 19 alleged murders between 2013 and 2016, when he was mayor of Davao City.
The second relates to 14 killings of individuals described as “High Value Targets” during 2016 and 2017, after he assumed the presidency.
The third covers 43 deaths during so-called “clearance” operations targeting lower-level alleged drug users or pushers across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018.
Duterte, 80, was arrested in March last year and transferred to the Netherlands on the same day.
He is scheduled to face a four-day confirmation of charges hearing beginning February 23, at which ICC judges will determine whether the prosecution’s evidence is sufficient for the case to proceed to full trial.
Judges have previously dismissed arguments that the former president is unfit to stand trial, clearing the way for the proceedings to move forward. - February 14, 2026