International Criminal Court (ICC) Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls on Monday identified Senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go, along with several other officials, as alleged co-perpetrators with former President Rodrigo Duterte in killings tied to his tenure as Davao City mayor.
Nicholls outlined the prosecution’s case during the confirmation of charges hearing, citing Dela Rosa’s role as Davao police chief and Go’s position as Duterte’s aide and adviser.
He also named Vicente Danao, Dante Gierran, Vitaliano Aguirre II, Oscar Albayalde, and Isidro Lapeña as part of a “common plan” to target alleged criminals through violent means.
Both Go and Lapeña rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded. Aguirre also denied involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Nicholls described the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) as a pyramid-like structure, with Duterte at the apex, passing orders through co-perpetrators down to handlers and hitmen.
“Of course, Mr. Duterte did not commit these crimes alone. We discuss the perpetrators, including during the mayoral period,” Nicholls said, adding that members at the bottom risked torture or death if they disobeyed orders.
Defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman countered that Duterte’s public statements reflected lawful intent, noting his warnings to police against abuse of authority.
“It’s not enough to state that since the former President made those extremely inflammatory statements and deaths occurred, that he must be criminally responsible,” Kaufman argued.
Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity for murder linked to his war on drugs. Hearings continue on February 24, 26, and 27.
Official figures report around 6,200 drug-related deaths during Duterte’s presidency, while rights groups estimate as many as 30,000, including unreported cases.