The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday dismissed claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued arrest warrants against Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and two other former officials, saying no such order has been received or verified by government agencies.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said authorities confirmed with the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime that there was no record of any ICC-issued warrant as of Thursday morning.
“We confirm that we have not received any official communication from the ICC regarding the alleged issuance of a warrant of arrest against Sen. Bong Go,” Martinez said.
The statement came after Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte publicly alleged that warrants had been issued against Go and others, a claim that immediately drew official pushback from national agencies.
Go, who served as special assistant to former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte from 2016 to 2019 before becoming a senator, has not been formally implicated in any ICC-issued process, according to Philippine officials.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla also rejected the claim, saying law enforcement agencies had not received any ICC documentation related to the matter.
“Baka sabog siya nun, nung narinig niya, kasi wala pa kaming nakikitang ganun eh, so di namin alam,” Remulla said in a media interview in Camp Crame, referring to Rep. Duterte’s statement.
He cautioned against spreading unverified allegations, stressing that authorities remain ready to act only on legitimate and properly transmitted judicial orders.
“‘Yung mga ganung klaseng pronouncements, delikado yun kasi,” he added.
The DOJ said it continues to coordinate with relevant agencies to monitor any developments involving international legal processes but urged the public to avoid speculation while no official documents have been issued.
Photo courtesy of Rappler
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