Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman Speaks on Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte amid Confirmation of Charges
RODRIGO DUTERTE – The former President is “in good spirits” as the defense prepares to complete its submission to the International Criminal Court.
The confirmation of charges hearing is on its last day today, February 27, 2026. Former Pres. Duterte is represented by his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, in the hearing. The former President waived his right to personally appear at the legal proceedings.
According to Duterte, he refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC over him. He claimed that he is old and frail and wants the foreign court to respect his peace in the cell where they detained him.
Six Filipino lawyers including former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo were added to Duterte’s ICC legal team. According to his camp, it is to ensure that there are Filipino lawyers who represent the former Chief Executive at the ICC hearings.
Former Executive Sec. Salvador Medialdea defended former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s war on drugs campaign tagging it as a “national policy”. British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman asserted the innocence of the former President claiming that there’s allegedly no direct order from the former President to kill drug suspects.
Recently, ahead of the final submissions of the Defense team to the International Criminal Court, Nicholas Kaufman claimed that former Pres Rodrigo Duterte is “in good spirits”. Based on a report on GMA News, the British-Israeli Lawyer met with the former President a day ahead of the third confirmation of charges hearing.
“I went up to the prison and I told him everything that was going on,” Kaufman said.
According to lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has not been monitoring the ICC confirmation of charges hearings after he signed a waiver to not appear before the foreign court. However, he stressed that it is his duty as the former President’s legal counsel to report to Duterte.
“I give him a report, of course. I’m counsel and I’m expected to give my client a report… It would be unethical otherwise,” the British-Israeli Lawyer said.
Based on the report, Nicholas Kaufman has one hour left to complete his arguments towards the completion of his submissions. According to him, with regards to the issue about the jurisdiction of the ICC, the matter remains with the Appeals Chamber.
Previously, the camp of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte expressed their hope that the ICC will dismiss the charges. According to Kaufman, he will ask the foreign court for the return of the former President to his family and the Filipino people.