NEWLY accredited International Criminal Court (ICC) counsel Lawyer Rameses Victorius “Ram” Villagonzalo has moved to dispel circulating assumptions that his inclusion in the ICC List of Counsel links him to any political figure or case.
Villagonzalo, senior partner of the Villagonzalo & Villagonzalo Law Office, recently became the first lawyer from Cebu and the Visayas to be accepted into the ICC’s roster of qualified counsel, enabling him to represent parties before the international tribunal.
In an official statement issued by his law office, Villagonzalo stressed that his accreditation “does not connect him with any political party or politician, whether officially or otherwise.”
He emphasized that he remains a private litigator who is professionally independent and insulated from political developments.
The clarification comes amid assumptions connecting him to a former head of state who is facing complaints before the ICC.
“We are constrained to issue this in order to ward off political assumptions by some quarters that I will or have been engaged to represent a former head of state who is accused before the ICC,” Villagonzalo said.
He explained that ICC accreditation alone does not automatically assign lawyers to specific individuals or cases.
He added that the ICC may summon accredited counsel for various roles, such as special defense, additional prosecution staff, or assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor, depending on the needs of the court.
Villagonzalo also addressed expectations from friends and acquaintances that he might represent either the former president or the complainants.
“Some people, even friends of mine or mutual acquaintances, expect that I will represent the ex-president. At the same time, there are those who may refer me to the complainants’ side. But no one has formally requested me yet. I want to be clear: I do not want to be dragged into any political crossfire or connected to anyone’s political agenda,” he said.
He added that, as an independent litigator, he will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept a client.
Villagonzalo emphasized that if he is engaged for a case, he intends to litigate before the ICC based on the merits of the matter rather than being influenced by political pressure or assumptions.
Villagonzalo described his ICC accreditation as both humbling and professionally significant.
He is now one of only six Filipino lawyers accredited by the tribunal, a milestone he hopes will inspire other lawyers in the Visayas to pursue international legal practice. / CAV