Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Saturday denied participating in alleged extrajudicial killings linked to the controversial drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Aguirre was among those identified by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as Duterte’s co-perpetrators in the alleged commission of crimes against humanity related to the drug war.
“I’ve never engaged in any extrajudicial killings,” he told GMA Integrated News in an online interview. “Ni hindi ko nga sinuportahan ‘yan kung mayroon man. Ni hindi ko nga alam ‘yan eh.”
(I didn’t even support that, if there really were any. I didn’t even know about it.)
He said he learned in September 2025 that his name appeared in the lesser-redacted version of the Document Containing Charges released by the ICC, which was submitted by the prosecution on Feb. 13.
“But I did not give so much attention to that kasi wala naman akong dapat ikatakot dito (because I have nothing to fear here),” he added.
The former Justice Secretary said he is “prepared to fight” any charges or accusations against him, but he is unsure if a warrant of arrest has been issued at this time.
“I’m going to face any charge because I’m completely innocent of any crime. I was never part of the extrajudicial killings, of this war on drugs, or anything like it.”
Aguirre argued, however, that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines after the country withdrew from the Rome Statute.
“And even if the ICC could invoke the jurisdiction it had before we withdrew, I believe that it should be participated in by the Philippine judiciary,” he added.
Aguirre was previously the lawyer for then-Davao Mayor Duterte and other alleged members of the Davao Death Squad.
“But, you know, at that time, we were not yet members of ICC. So, you could not prosecute me if ever I had any violation during that time,” he said.
The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute and became an ICC member in 2011. Duterte later withdrew the country from the court, effective March 2019.
“Kaya imposibleng magkaroon ako ng any case or any charge that happened during that time because we are not yet a member of the ICC. Secondly, during that time, abogado ako noon…Ganun lang naman ang tungkulin ng isang abogado,” he added.
(So it’s impossible for me to have any case or charge during that time because we were not yet a member of the ICC. Secondly, during that time, I was a lawyer…That’s the duty of a lawyer.)
Aguirre later served as Justice Secretary from July 2016 to April 2018 under the Duterte administration.
“I was just doing my job as Secretary of Justice. If there were any charges against the policemen, it is the duty of the police to file the necessary charges,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He also highlighted his “instrumental” role in facilitating meetings between Duterte and the relatives of drug war victims Kian Delos Santos, Carlo Arnais, and Kulot de Guzman.
“After that meeting, charges were filed against these policemen and trials were conducted. And they were all convicted,” he said.
The ICC has scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing in the Duterte case on Feb. 23. The former president has been detained in The Hague, Netherlands for 11 months.—MCG, GMA Integrated News
