Vice President Sara Duterte praised 18 former Marines who claimed to have acted as bagmen for ex-representative Elizaldy Co, saying their affidavit supports earlier information that the government has been monitoring the ICC.
She stressed that their testimony should not be dismissed as politicking, as it concerns national sovereignty and the limitations of foreign institutions on domestic affairs.
Duterte revealed she wrote to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. seeking an official stance on the ICC’s investigation into her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, over the drug war, and said Marcos affirmed the government would not cooperate.
The affidavit, transmitted to the Ombudsman, alleged that several lawmakers and officials received money from Co, though some accused have denied the claims and the Philippine Navy noted that some signatories were never Marines or were dishonorably discharged.
Duterte maintained that the issue goes beyond personalities, framing it as a matter of upholding Philippine sovereignty against foreign interference.
Source: PhilNews24 | February 27, 2026
