- Duterte’s lawyer: ‘Compelling’ grounds to dismiss ICC case
THE LEAD lawyer for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asserted that they have a compelling argument for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to dismiss the case against his client even before reaching trial.
In an interview with AFP in The Hague on Sunday, Nicholas Kaufman stated he intends to challenge the ICC’s jurisdiction, aiming to halt the proceedings before the court confirms the charges.
Kaufman argued that the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC had taken effect before the authorization of the investigation into Duterte’s “war on drugs.”
The former president, who recently turned 80, faces charges of crimes against humanity for murder, stemming from his anti-drug campaign.
“Coming back to the jurisdictional point, obviously you don’t need to be the dean of a law faculty to realize that that’s going to be a huge issue at pre-trial,” said Kaufman, a 56-year-old British-Israeli lawyer.
The ICC is investigating allegations that Duterte’s anti-drug campaign involved widespread human rights abuses and state policy killings.
The former president’s legal team is now focusing on the jurisdictional challenge, arguing that the court lacks the authority to proceed with the case.
