Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday said it would be a sad chapter in Senate history if incumbent lawmakers end up in jail following developments related to cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a report by RH Raymund Dadpaas on Monday, on Damdaming Bayan.
Lacson stressed that any arrest warrant from the ICC against the two Senators should first go through the Philippine courts, and they should be allowed to exhaust all legal remedies related to the cases they are facing at the criminal court.
"Dapat igalang natin ang local courts. Pag may arrest warrant from ibang bansa, ICC o foreign court, dapat ito dinadaan natin sa local court at may corresponding order galing sa ating local court ilalabas para ma implement ang arrest warrant galing sa foreign entity,” he said during an interview.
Lacson issued the statement after reports that the ICC identified Senators Ronald "Boto" dela Rosa and Christopher "Bong" Go as alleged co-perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte in connection with crimes against humanity charges stemming from the government’s anti-drug campaign.
The names of Dela Rosa and Go appeared in the lesser redacted version of the Document Containing Charges (DCC) submitted by the Office of the Prosecutor dated February 13, 2026. The DCC was originally published on July 4, 2025.
Go, for his part, has earlier denied any participation in the anti-drug campaign beyond his official duties.
For now, he said, it is still too early to take a definite position since the ICC has yet to release the bill of particulars outlining the exact cases and possible penalties that the two senators may face.
“Pag-uusapan namin ’yan. Kung magiging desisyon ng nakararami, kung anong tulong ang maibibigay sa aming dalawang kasamahan. We’ll just cross the bridge when we get there, kasi wala pa naman tayo doon,” Lacson said.
He further said that if there is a valid warrant of arrest and a red notice from Interpol, it should be coursed through the local courts. The senator emphasized that the Philippine government cannot just turn over anyone facing charges to the ICC without following the country's legal processes.
“At this point in time, siyempre, speculation lahat kung halimbawa pang mayroong warrant of arrest, mayroong bang red notice, mag-coordinate ba ang Interpol. May mga proseso rin dyan eh,” he added.
Lacson said he was personally saddened by the development, noting that he and Dela Rosa are both graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
“Medyo nakakalungkot kasi mga kasamahan namin, si Sen. Bato, kapwa ko pa PMAer, noong niyang unang naiulat na may warrant of arrest. At hindi siya pumapasok,” Lacson said.
Dela Rosa has not attended Senate sessions since November 8, when Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla announced on DZRH's Executive Session that an arrest warrant had been issued for the senator by the ICC in connection with crimes against humanity.
Lacson added that he is uncertain whether parliamentary immunity would apply to the cases of Dela Rosa and Go, explaining that immunity typically covers offenses punishable by imprisonment of six years or less. Crimes against humanity fall outside that threshold.
Aside from the ICC case involving Duterte and the two senators, Lacson also noted reports that other senators may face possible warrants of arrest in connection with an alleged flood control scandal.
The confirmation of charges against Duterte is scheduled on February 23. He is currently under ICC custody after being arrested in March 2025 over alleged crimes against humanity committed during his tenure as mayor and president.
