Experts confirm that former Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla's meeting with International Criminal Court (ICC) officials regarding the case against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte does not violate any laws. The Department of Justice states there is no legal bar to Philippine government coordination with the ICC, despite the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute. This occurs amid pre-trial hearings for crimes against humanity charges.
Amid the International Criminal Court's pre-trial hearings for crimes against humanity charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, now Ombudsman and former Justice Secretary, confirmed he met with ICC personnel after Duterte's arrest in March 2025. Remulla stated the meeting occurred post-arrest and involved discussions on witness protection. On March 2, 2026, he also met with ICC officials alongside former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to address witness safety in the trial.
Remulla's actions do not violate any rules, according to experts like ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti. She explained that the ICC can cooperate with non-member states like the Philippines under Article 87(5) of the Rome Statute via ad hoc arrangements. “I don’t think he’s being asked as someone who is an insider or someone who was involved in the war on drugs per se,” Conti told Rappler.
Department of Justice Spokesperson Polo Martinez stated there is no law prohibiting coordination with the ICC, even as the question of full cooperation remains pending before the Supreme Court. “There is no legal prohibition under our laws that says that you cannot coordinate with any international agency, tribunal,” Martinez said.
Trillanes admitted cooperating with the ICC since 2017 in gathering evidence but denied receiving $2 million from Zaldy Co. Meanwhile, former marines alleged delivering cash to Trillanes for the ICC probe, claims used by Duterte's defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman to argue a “silent partner” linked to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration.
The Marcos government provides protection to witnesses, including drug war whistleblower Royina Garma, as confirmed by Remulla in September 2025. Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang noted the prosecution accepts assistance from various groups but maintains its independence.
Experts such as Ross Tugade and Ephraim Cortez indicated that attacks on the cooperation have political motives and do not undermine the prosecution's evidence. Drug war-related killings continued under Marcos but at lower rates compared to Duterte's term, where nearly 30,000 deaths were recorded by 2022.
