2 weeks ago
12
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
March 9, 2026 | 12:00am
Nicholas Kaufman, the defense counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte, appears before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on February 26, 2026.
International Criminal Court / Philstar.com's screenshot
MANILA, Philippines — Saying it could have an impact on the privacy and security of victims and witnesses, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked judges to intervene and clarify the supposed role of Filipino lawyers in the defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In a filing last Friday, ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman made inconsistent representations as to the role of the six Filipino lawyers who attended the former president’s confirmation of charges hearing last month.
He said Kaufman told the prosecution that lawyers Salvador Medialdea, Martin Delgra III, Silvestre Bello III, Caesar Dulay, Salvador Panelo and Alfredo Lim Jr. are not members of Duterte’s defense team.
But Duterte’s lawyer issued media statements stating that the defense was “ably assisted and supported by” the six lawyers, with two – Delgra and Medialdea – supposedly “working (with the defense) all along.”
“These statements have created the impression that the six lawyers are members of Mr. Duterte’s defense team before the International Criminal Court,” Niang said.
“The Prosecution therefore requires clarification on whether these individuals are in fact members of Mr. Duterte’s defense team in order to conduct thorough risk assessments to potentially oppose their appointment,” he added.
Citing the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the tribunal, the ICC prosecutor said they have the duty to “take appropriate measures to protect the safety, physical and psychological well-being, dignity and privacy of victims and witnesses.”
“This includes knowing which individuals work for Mr. Duterte’s defense team, as these individuals have access to highly sensitive confidential information, including regarding Prosecution witnesses and victims,” Niang said.
He asked the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I to order the defense to confirm, on the record, that the six lawyers are not members of Duterte’s defense team in the case before the ICC and that “they have not, and will not, receive any disclosure in this case.”
The prosecution also wants specific declarations that the six lawyers “have not, and will not, have access to any non-public filings in this case” and that “they have not, and will not, receive any other non-public information in relation to this case.”
He sought a statement confirming that the six are not entitled to legally privileged meetings, or other communications, with Duterte at the ICC Detention Center.
