Trillanes says witnesses testified Sara Duterte approved 'tokhang' as Davao mayor

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) — Vice President Sara Duterte is supposedly among the respondents in the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the bloody war on drugs as she allegedly approved to continue «tokhang» operations during her stint as mayor of Davao City, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed.

«May mga ebidensya na na-submit dun na nong siya ay mayor, tuloy-tuloy ang EJK (extrajudicial killings) sa Davao City at 'yon mismong Davao Death Squad ay nagpaalam sa kanya kung pwede na lang ituloy ang programa nila kay under Mayor Rodrigo Duterte na tokhang,» Trillanes told CNN Philippines' News Night on Monday.

«Sinabi ni then-mayor Sara Duterte na ituloy ang tokhang kaya on record na 'yong testimonya na 'yon ng mga testigo,» he added.

[Translation: Pieces of evidence have been submitted that when she was mayor, EJK continued in Davao City and the Davao Death Squad even asked permission from her to continue the 'tokhang' program under Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Then-mayor Sara Duterte said 'tokhang' should continue and that testimony is already on record.]

The Davao Death Squad was an alleged vigilante group in Davao City responsible for summary killings of suspected criminals, including drug dealers.

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Trillanes claimed that the tribunal's investigators have completed their probe «as far as the principal accused is concerned.»

He also said that the ICC may issue an arrest warrant related to its investigation into the war on drugs, also called Oplan Tokhang, by the second quarter of 2024.

Trillanes said Sara's father and former president Rodrigo Duterte is the principal accused in the investigation, while VP Duterte and Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Bong Go were the secondary and tertiary accused.

VP Duterte served as the mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013.

The Philippines became a member state of the ICC in November 2011. The country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the founding document of the tribunal, officially took effect in March 2019.

In November 2023, Marcos said his