The names “dela Rosa” and “Aguirre” are mentioned in the public version of the Pre-Confirmation Brief posted on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) website. The document available online is heavily redacted and contains details of the charges that former President Rodrigo Duterte faces in relation to the drug war.
The Pre-Confirmation Brief notes that Duterte appointed “dela Rosa” as chief of the Philippine National Police, referring to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. “Aguirre” refers to former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
When asked by reporters on Wednesday, September 24, if he was prepared in the case that ICC issues an arrest warrant against him, dela Rosa said, “I am ready.”
Duterte was supposed to go through his confirmation of charges hearing on Tuesday, September 23. In a confirmation of charges hearing, the pre-trial chamber determines whether there is sufficient evidence for a full trial. However, the pre-trial hearing was postponed, with the defense claiming that Duterte’s health concerns have made him unfit for trial.
A separate document dated July 4 and released to the public on Tuesday contains the specific charges that Duterte is facing. He is accused of “indirectly co-perpetrating,” “ordering or inducing,” and “aiding and abetting” in three counts of crimes against humanity.
The first count is for the murders in or around Davao City by the Davao Death Squad from 2013 to 2016. The second count is for the murders of “high-value targets” during Duterte’s term as president, which included alleged drug pushers, manufacturers, and drug lords. The third count is for murders and attempted murders in barangay clearance operations during the presidential term, which included alleged drug pushers and users in Manila, Quezon City, and Bulacan.
A new date for the pre-trial hearing has not yet been set, and prosecution witnesses have flown out to give their testimonies. Drug war whistleblowers Royina Garma and Edgar Matobato are expected to provide their accounts as witnesses, while drug war victims, such as those who work at the Cubao-based coffee shop Silingan, have also been brought to The Hague.
