Bong Go attends Senate session amid ICC claims: ‘Wala naman akong kasalanan’

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go was present at the Senate’s plenary session on Wednesday, days after he was tagged as an alleged co-perpetrator of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity.

In an ambush interview before the session began, Go insisted that he did nothing wrong and that he does not need to hide. 

“Importante rito dapat fair po, dumaan sa tamang proseso. Hindi naman po ako takot dahil wala naman akong kasalanan. Kaya po ako naririto ngayon dahil wala po akong kasalanan,” he told Senate reporters. 

(What’s important here is to be fair, for us to go through the right process. I’m not afraid because I’m innocent. That’s why I’m here now because I’m innocent.) 

Asked if he will not skip the Senate’s sessions, Go said, “Kaya nga ako nandito eh, bakit mo ako pinapa-absent?

(That’s why I’m here, why do you want me to be absent?)

Aside from Go, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor also identified Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and other former government officials as Duterte’s co-perpetrators in the “common plan” to “neutralize alleged criminals” through “violent crimes including murder.” 

Go previously disputed the allegations against him as “entirely unfounded, one-sided, unfair, and bear no relation to the reality of [his] roles and responsibilities” during his stint as the 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. 

Dela Rosa, who has not attended any session at the Senate since November 11, 2025, has yet to comment on the recent document released by the ICC. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said senators have not yet discussed the chamber’s next course of action should the ICC issue warrants of arrest against Go and dela Rosa. — JMA, GMA Integrated News