(May 30, 2025) – Malacañang fired back at the legal counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, dismissing his accusation that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was behind his client’s arrest and detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a media briefing, Palace spokesperson Usec. Claire Castro responded sharply to comments made by lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s ICC counsel, who claimed that “the real prosecutor in this case is actually in Manila, sitting in his palace.”
“Is that you, Atty. Harry Roque talking? We thought it was Atty. Harry Roque making such a comment,” the Palace spokesperson quipped, referencing Duterte’s former spokesperson.
“It is very apparent and very obvious that Kaufman is being surrounded by fake news peddlers.”
The Palace said Kaufman lacked a basic grasp of the facts and sequence of events related to the ICC’s investigation into Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.
“He doesn’t know the timeline. He doesn’t know the facts of the case. He should be concentrating on his job as a counsel, not engaging in rumor-mongering,” Castro said.
Duterte is facing an ICC investigation for crimes against humanity over alleged extrajudicial killings in his controversial war on drugs.
Kaufman recently appeared in a YouTube interview where he implied that Duterte’s political rivals, including those in the current administration, were instrumental in escalating the case.
Malacañang has consistently denied any involvement in the ICC’s ongoing proceedings. President Marcos has previously stated that the Philippines will not cooperate with the court but has also distanced himself from Duterte’s legal troubles.
(AGD)
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