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Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has voiced speculations that International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators have quietly concluded their investigation into alleged crimes against humanity related to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Trillanes suggested that the ICC probers may have entered the country discreetly, emphasizing the confidential nature of such missions, ABS-CBN reported.

“Ang tantiya ko, ang aking educated guess, ay tapos na sila sa kanilang investigation….sa crimes against humanity. Ang aking educated guess ay natapos na ang kanilang investigation sa mga pangunahing akusado. Nagawa na nila yung kanilang dapat gawin sa bansa,” the former senator said. 

Trillanes expressed confidence in the ICC’s capability to obtain crucial details, particularly from Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed hitman.

Lascañas, who left the Philippines for Singapore in April 2017, asserted that Duterte authorized payments of P100,000 for each operation conducted by the infamous Davao Death Squad.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a staunch ally of Duterte, has responded by asserting that he would seek the deportation of ICC investigators if the government did not authorize their entry, according to ABS-CBN in a separate report.

“Kung hindi ninyo in-authorize, hindi ko ito harapin dahil kumbaga hindi recognized ng ating gobyerno, so what’s the use of facing them… I-report ko pa sila sa gobyerno natin na i-deport ninyo ito for (being) undesirable alien, dahil nakikialam dito sa atin,” the senator said.

Dela Rosa emphasized his willingness to face the investigators only if their presence was sanctioned by the government.

Dela Rosa also hinted at a possible rift between the Duterte and Marcos camps, indicating uncertainty regarding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promise to block ICC investigators.

Dela Rosa vowed to hold the government accountable for any deviation from Marcos’s assurance, describing it as “laban-bawi” if ICC investigators are allowed entry.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra reiterated the government’s stance, emphasizing that the Philippines has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation, GMA News reported.

Guevarra argued that the ICC could conduct its probe without physically entering the country, citing local groups providing support to the investigators.

“As far as the government is concerned, it has maintained its position that the state has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC investigator,” Guevarra told local media.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla echoed Guevarra’s sentiments, stating that the ICC must establish formal contact with the government if they are already in the country,

Remulla emphasized the importance of adhering to legal protocols for the investigation to hold validity.

“If a multilateral agency or a body like the ICC wants to step into a country, it has to make contact with authorities in the country. And they have not done that. So whatever is happening is not the formal— if there’s something happening, it’s not the formal thing,” Remulla said.

In the midst of these speculations, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque hinted at the presence of ICC investigators in the country.

However, the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice remain uncertain, with spokespersons unable to confirm or deny the ICC’s presence, according to GMA News in a separate report.

As the uncertainty looms, the widening rift between the Duterte and Marcos camps adds a layer of complexity to the situation.

With Dela Rosa contemplating the possibility of Duterte running for senator in the 2025 elections amid the ICC probe, the political landscape in the Philippines seems poised for further turbulence.