Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has denied involvement in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs after being named by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an alleged co-perpetrator in its lesser-redacted charges document.
The ICC referenced Aguirre’s previous role as President Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyer in Davao and his service as Justice secretary from July 2016 to April 2018.
Aguirre dismissed the accusations, saying:
“Natatawa lang po ako diyan eh. Wala po akong kinalaman diyan sa war on drugs na ‘yan eh… As a matter of fact, ‘yung charge sa aking extrajudicial killing, wala pong katotohanan ‘yan.”
He maintained that his legal work was strictly professional and that he had no knowledge of “tokhang” operations during his tenure at the Department of Justice.
Aguirre also pointed to his role in facilitating meetings between Malacañang and the families of Kian Delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman—cases that resulted in the conviction of the police officers involved.
“Pero kailanman ay hindi naging policy ‘yan,” Aguirre added, asserting that his inclusion in the ICC document was meant to bolster claims of a supposed “national policy” of killings under Duterte.
Aguirre said he is prepared to face any ICC proceedings and expressed confidence that any alleged basis for an arrest warrant would eventually be clarified.
His statement reflects the broader pushback from Duterte allies named in the ICC filing, who characterize the allegations as politically driven and without legal merit.