Jamaine Punzalan

Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa and Sen. Christopher Bong Go  attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, September 25, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

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SENATE PROBE- FLOOD CONTROL ANOMALIES

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177122485389420250925-senate-flood-control-probe-dela-rosa-go-JC3347.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa and Sen. Christopher Bong Go  attend a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, September 25, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine government is obliged to implement potential arrest warrants against Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and other alleged co-perpetrators in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial should the International Criminal Court (ICC) order their apprehension, Malacañang said on Monday.</p><p>The charges against Duterte and his co-perpetrators were filed in 2017, when the Philippines was still a member of the ICC, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said. </p><p>“Kapag may warrant of arrest na naisyu na po, kailangang i-implement,” she said in a Palace briefing.</p><p>“Nagawa na po before at ang sinunod po ay ang batas na umiiral sa ating bansa at nakipag-coordinate po ang ating pamahalaan sa Interpol kaya po naipadala ang dating Pangulong Duterte sa The Hague,” she added.</p><p>Duterte was arrested in March 2025 as soon as he landed in Manila from Hong Kong and was taken to The Hague to face 3 counts of crimes against humanity during his tenure as Davao City Mayor and Philippine president.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/14/icc-prosecutors-submit-second-updated-evidence-list-ahead-of-duterte-case-hearing-2312">ICC prosecutors submit second updated evidence list ahead of Duterte case hearing</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/13/icc-prosecution-blocks-duterte-s-bid-to-appeal-fitness-ruling-0111">ICC Prosecution blocks Duterte’s bid to appeal fitness ruling</a></div><p>Last week, the ICC identified the following as <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/14/what-charges-does-duterte-face-at-icc-court-releases-document-0813">Duterte’s co-perpetrators.</a></p><ul><li>Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; Dela Rosa, former PNP chief</li><li>Sen. Christopher Lawrence &quot;Bong&quot; Go, long-time aide and former special assistant to the president </li><li>Vitaliano Aguirre II, former justice secretary</li><li>Camilo Cascolan, former PNP chief (deceased)</li><li>Oscar Albayalde, former PNP chief</li><li>Dante Gierran, former National Bureau of Investigation regional director for Davao and later NBI chief</li><li>Isidro Lapeña, former Davao City police chief and later chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency</li><li>Vicente Danao, former Davao City police chief</li></ul><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y3Mu_1mBIMY" title="Dela Rosa, Go pinangalanan ng ICC bilang &#x27;co-perpetrator&#x27; sa kaso ni Duterte | DZMM TeleRadyo" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘IT IS A CHOICE’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Palace defended its position to have these Filipinos hauled before the ICC in the Netherlands, saying that “it is a choice” of the incumbent administration.</p><p>“Marami bang nakasuhan na mga generals… Sino iyong mga generals na iyon na dapat na-involve, bakit hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nakakasuhan?” Castro said when asked why these officials cannot be tried in local courts instead.</p><p>Even Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong — a former police official who also served as an official in the Duterte administration — had also spoken against irregularities in the former president’s war on drugs.</p><p>“The cases can be held and can be heard before the courts here in the Philippines but we also have a rule, we also have a law that allows the government to surrender the alleged defendants to the International Criminal Court,” she said.</p><p>“So, it’s a choice, para mas hindi mapulitika,” she said.</p><p>“Hindi ba mas maganda kung korte na hindi naiimpluwensiyahan at hindi masasabing namumulitika ang siyang didinig para walang masabi, manalo man ang dating Pangulong Duterte, masasabi,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/14/any-icc-warrant-vs-bato-go-should-go-through-ph-courts-lacson-says-1733">Any ICC warrant vs Bato, Go should go through PH courts, Lacson says</a></div><p>Castro maintained that the Philippine government has yet to officially receive an arrest warrant against Duterte’s co-perpetrators.</p><p>“Hindi po kinakailangang magtago kung alam po nila na sila ay walang kasalanan, humarap sila at maging matapang sa maaaring proseso,” she said.</p><p>“So, kung babantayan sila, sa ngayon ay wala pa pong dahilan para sila ay bantayan dahil wala pa pong nari-receive ang gobyerno ng warrants of arrest.” </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/13/500-more-drug-war-victims-seek-to-join-icc-case-against-duterte-0125">500 more drug war ‘victims’ seek to join ICC case against Duterte</a></div><p>Dela Rosa, a former enforcer of Duterte&#x27;s drug war, has previously said he believed he faced potential arrest and has not been seen publicly in months.</p><p>Go, meanwhile, dismissed the allegations as &quot;entirely unfounded&quot;, saying they bore &quot;no relation&quot; to his duties while serving under Duterte.</p><p>&quot;Let me be clear, at no time did I have any involvement in, knowledge of, or authority over these allegations,&quot; Go said in a statement.</p><p>Despite these developments, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “has not talked about” the possibility of the Philippines rejoining the ICC.</p><p>“He has not discussed that matter with all of us as of the moment.”</p><p>Duterte is expected to face a four-day &quot;confirmation of charges&quot; hearing starting February 23, where judges decide whether the prosecution&#x27;s allegations are strong enough to proceed to trial.</p><p>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</p><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rWy9tdYMAsM" title="Duterte defense wants three Filipino lawyers out of ICC case | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1022" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SnW-_ICr5Yg" title="Rights group urge ICC to issue arrest warrants vs Dela Rosa, Go | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Philippine government is obliged to implement potential arrest warrants against Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and other alleged co-perpetrators in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial, Malacañang said. </p>

The Philippine government is obliged to implement potential arrest warrants against Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and other alleged co-perpetrators in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial, Malacañang said.

Palace: Philippines obliged to implement possible ICC arrest warrant vs Dela Rosa, Go

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Palace: Philippines obliged to implement possible ICC arrest warrant vs Dela Rosa, Go

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 16, 2026 02:58 PM PHT

|

Updated February 16, 2026 03:03 PM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

International Criminal Court

ICC

crimes against humanity

drug war

war on drugs

Ronald Dela Rosa

Bong Go

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