After being named in Duterte's ICC hearing, Senator Bong Go says, 'Trabaho muna tayo'

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go on Tuesday said he will remain focused on his legislative duties despite being named by an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor as one of the alleged co-perpetrators in the killings linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs during his term as mayor of Davao City.

“Hintayin muna natin matapos this week. No comment muna,” Go told Senate reporters in an ambush interview.

“Antayin nalang natin matapos ‘yung confirmation hearing. Trabaho muna tayo. Unahin muna natin ang trabaho,” he added.

Go was mentioned during the first day of Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing before the ICC on Monday, where ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls identified him as Duterte’s aide, special assistant, and key adviser during the period covered by the investigation.

Nicholls also named Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosa as the chief of the Davao City Police Office at the time of the alleged killings.

In the Document Containing the Charges (DCC) submitted by the prosecution and released by the ICC earlier this month, Go, dela Rosa, and several others were listed as co-perpetrators in an alleged “common plan” to “neutralize alleged criminals” through “violent crimes including murder.”

Asked how he felt after the first day of the hearing, Go reiterated his focus on public service.

“Subaybayan lang po natin. Basta trabaho lang muna ‘ko. Unahin ko ang trabaho ko, meron akong sinumpaang tungkulin bilang senador,” he said.

Go previously rejected the accusations, describing them as “entirely unfounded, one-sided, unfair, and bear no relation to the reality of [his] roles and responsibilities” during his tenure as Special Assistant to the President from June 2016 to October 2018, and as Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Davao City from 1998 to 2016.

The ICC proceedings stem from an investigation into thousands of deaths linked to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which was launched when he was mayor of Davao City and later expanded nationwide during his presidency.

Despite the allegations, Go said he remains committed to carrying out his legislative responsibilities, stressing that his priority is to continue serving the Filipino people while closely monitoring developments in the case.

Meanwhile, he also called on the government to ensure strict adherence to the Constitution and due process before any Filipino is surrendered to a foreign jurisdiction, as he supported Senate Resolution No. 307, expressing the sense of the Senate to protect Filipinos against extraordinary rendition.

Go co-sponsored the measure, stating that its central principle is the constitutional guarantee that no Filipino should be deprived of liberty without due process of law.

-Paraluman News