ICC Prosecutor Details Co-Perpetrators' Role in Duterte's Drug War
The prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has provided a detailed explanation of the alleged role of "co-perpetrators" under former President Rodrigo Duterte in implementing the war on drugs, spanning from his tenure as mayor of Davao City to his presidency. According to Prosecutor Robynne Croft, Duterte reportedly established a "hierarchical structure" where orders flowed from him down to officials and members of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), which was later expanded to a national level.
Named Co-Perpetrators in the Alleged Plan
Among those cited as alleged accomplices are Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, former chief of Davao City Police; Vicente Danao, also a former Davao City Police chief; Camilo Cascolan, who served as finance chief of Davao City Police; Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, special assistant to Duterte; Dante Gierran, former Davao Director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and Vitaliano Aguirre II, a lawyer who later became involved. The prosecution claims that under Duterte's presidency, members of what they call a "common plan" were added, including Oscar Albayalde as former regional director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and Isidro Lapeña as former chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Specific Roles and Allegations
The role of Dela Rosa was highlighted, with reports indicating he developed "Tokhang" operations, which allegedly served as a model for operations under Oplan Double Barrel. Based on testimony from an insider witness, the prosecution asserts that the term "neutralize" in memoranda was used to signify orders to kill. Prosecutor Croft further stated that the co-perpetrators allegedly controlled the executive branch, police, PDEA, NBI, and Department of Justice, resulting in what they describe as a "climate of impunity."
Particular attention was given to Aguirre, who is accused of using his position to hinder the progress of most cases against those involved. Meanwhile, the defense, led by Duterte's lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, has previously insisted that the former president is innocent, arguing that his past statements were merely rhetoric and that he issued orders only for the use of force in self-defense.
