By Brian Campued
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Friday advised Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, chief legal counsel of former President Rodrigo Duterte, to focus on defending his client, rather than on political issues in the Philippines.
Usec. Castro made the remark after Atty. Kaufman, in an interview with international media, claimed that the Marcos Jr. administration is allegedly helping the prosecution in Duterte’s case at the International Criminal Court (ICC), even before the former president was turned over to ICC jurisdiction.
“He (Kaufman) should focus on his defense and legal strategies, not on President Marcos Jr.,” Usec. Castro said, as quoted in a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release.
“He is losing track of his case because he keeps monitoring Philippine politics. He should do his best for his client, not for the political careers of his client’s children,” she added, referring to Vice President Sara Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte.
On Thursday, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed all three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte and committed him to trial.
The chamber noted that it has found “substantial grounds” to believe that he is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in connection with his war on drugs campaign from when he was mayor of Davao City and as Philippine president.
The ICC Appeals Chamber has also rejected, by majority, Duterte’s challenge to the court’s jurisdiction—affirming its authority over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a party to the Rome Statute, from Nov. 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019.
The former chief executive, who has been in custody at the ICC Detention Center in Scheveningen, in The Hague, Netherlands since March 2025, will be required to attend the trial based on the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC.
Duterte only appeared before the Pre-Trial Chamber I in March 2025, and has chosen not to participate in subsequent hearings, including the confirmation of charges hearings in February 2026.
Malacanang said it respects the ruling of the ICC, emphasizing that accountability and due process are essential in the pursuit of justice for both the accused and the victims.
-jpv
