MANILA, Philippines — Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have formally identified several Philippine officials, including Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, as alleged indirect co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte over thousands of killings linked to his anti-drug campaign.
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| Senators Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go are named by the International Criminal Court as alleged co-perpetrators in former President Duterte’s drug war. Photos: Facebook/Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go |
A lesser-redacted Document Containing the Charges dated February 13 outlines what prosecutors describe as a coordinated campaign of violence carried out during Duterte’s tenure as mayor of Davao City and later as president.
At the center of the case is what the court formally calls the “Common Plan,” an alleged agreement among Duterte and trusted law enforcement allies to “neutralize” suspected criminals through police-led and vigilante-style operations that prosecutors say amounted to systematic murder.
The prosecution said the plan spanned from November 2011 to March 2019 and resulted in dozens of killings tied to both the so-called Davao Death Squad and nationwide anti-drug raids.
Court records show three counts of crimes against humanity covering 49 incidents and 78 victims, including suspected high-value targets and low-level drug suspects killed in house-to-house operations.
Duterte has remained in International Criminal Court custody since his arrest in March 2025, with judges set to rule on February 23 whether the case will move forward to trial.
Named co-perpetrators and their roles:
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa — former Philippine National Police chief who directed nationwide anti-drug enforcement.
- Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go — Duterte’s longtime aide and special assistant who handled administrative and logistical coordination.
- Vicente Danao — former Davao police chief and later a senior Criminal Investigation and Detection Group commander.
- Camilo Cascolan — former police general who oversaw regional operations and later served as national police chief.
- Oscar Albayalde — former National Capital Region police director and subsequent PNP chief during the height of the drug war.
- Dante Gierran — former head of the National Bureau of Investigation and longtime Duterte ally from Davao.
- Isidro Lapeña — former chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency who led anti-narcotics operations.
- Vitaliano Aguirre II — former justice secretary who supervised prosecutors and legal policy during Duterte’s administration.
