Palace urges ex-pres Duterte’s co-perpetrators to face allegations

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
February 16, 2026

(Screengrab from RTVMalacanang/YouTube)

MANILA, Philippines — The Palace has urged the named alleged co-perpetrators of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte to firmly face the process before the International Criminal Court (ICC), should they really affirm their innocence.

“Unang-una, kung kayo’y nagtatago ano bang ibig sabihin niyan, kayo ba’y may kasalanan? Tinatago niyo para hindi po kayo madinig at [para] maescape, maevade the liability of what you had done?” Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

(First of all, if you’re currently into hiding, what does that say about you? Are you guilty of the said allegations? Are you hiding because you do not want to be heard and to escape and evade the liability of what you have done?)

“Hindi po kinakailangang magtago kung alam po nila na wala silang kasalanan,” she added. “Humarap sila at maging matapang sa maaaring maging proseso.”

(There’s no need to go into hiding if they know to themselves that they are innocent. They should face the allegations and be firm on facing what the possible process may be.)

Sen. Bato dela Rosa went into hiding since November last year following a looming ICC arrest warrant, while both Sen. Bong Go and former Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II had already denied their involvement with Duterte’s bloody illegal drugs crackdown, especially their role in the alleged “common plan” to neutralize alleged criminals at the time.

Castro also disclosed that Malacanang has not received any warrant of arrest yet against the named co-perpetrators of Duterte.