Atty. Neri Colmenares Speaks on Jurisdictional Argument of Duterte’s Camp
NERI COLMENARES – The lawyer believes that there is no other way to defend former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte except on jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was unexpectedly arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) authorities last March 11. He just arrived from Hong Kong when the PNP implemented the arrest reportedly in lieu of the warrant issued by the ICC.
Currently, Duterte is under a regular detention in the ICC detention facility in The Hague after he was released from its hospital wing. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that her father is feeling better now and even asks for at least two (2) cans of Coke Zero daily.
Vice Pres. Duterte said she will set the legal team of her father before she will return to the Philippines. Former Pres. Duterte’s legal team will be led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman.
Contrary to the claim of the former presidential spokesman, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte announced that Harry Roque as well as Salvador Medialdea will not be part of Duterte’s ICC legal team. The latter had a medical emergency while in The Hague after serving as Duterte’s legal counsel during his initial appearance before the ICC pre-trial chamber.
While it is already known that Nicholas Kaufman will be the lead counsel of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s legal team, the other lawyers who will be part of the team remain unknown. Recently, the British-Israeli Lawyer expressed his confidence on their jurisdictional argument.
According to Kaufman, the jurisdictional argument should succeed and he will really be disappointed if it won’t. Duterte’s lead counsel hopes to convince the judges that the ICC allegedly has no jurisdiction in the Philippines. According to him, if it happens, there might be no need for the confirmation of judges.
The statement of the lead counsel of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte gained different reactions. Based on a report on Inquirer, Atty. Neri Colmenares claimed that the jurisdictional argument is the only way that Kaufman can defend the former President.
Atty. Neri Colmenares who is a lawyer of the alleged victims of the Duterte war on drugs campaign claimed that it will be hard for lawyer Nicholas Kaufman to defend former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte if things push through to the actual trial. Based on the report, he stressed the “surmounting” evidence against the former President.
“There is no other way to defend former Pres. Duterte except on jurisdiction. They will have to argue on jurisdiction because if the charges are confirmed and this goes to trial they will not be able to surmount the evidence that Pres. Duterte ordered the killings of many people in his war on drugs,” Colmenares claimed.