Camille Naredo

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte says goodbye to successor President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr after the departure honors at the Malacanang Palace on June 30, 2022. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte says goodbye to successor President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr after the departure honors at the Malacanang Palace on June 30, 2022. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo

Article (news)

Politics-Duterte

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177185237947720220630-duterte-departure-honors-MNIB-60.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte says goodbye to successor President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr after the departure honors at the Malacanang Palace on June 30, 2022. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte says goodbye to successor President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr after the departure honors at the Malacanang Palace on June 30, 2022. <em>King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sought to &quot;neutralize&quot; his predecessor, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the latter&#x27;s legal counsel claimed on Monday at the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p><p>Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman made the allegation during his opening statement at the confirmation of charges hearing against Duterte, who is accused of crimes against humanity over his bloody war on drugs campaign. </p><p>&quot;It is indeed the Defense&#x27;s case that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. set out to neutralize Rodrigo Duterte and his legacy,&quot; said Kaufman.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/icc-opens-duterte-confirmation-of-charges-hearings-1718">READ: ICC prosecution lays down evidence vs Duterte in first pre-trial hearing</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/duterte-maintains-his-innocence-absolutely-says-kaufman-1949">READ: Duterte &#x27;maintains his innocence absolutely,&#x27; says Kaufman</a></div><p>Kaufman claimed that Marcos Jr. &quot;failed&quot; to keep his promise that his government will not assist the ICC &quot;in any way, shape or form.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Rodrigo Duterte was unconstitutionally and unceremoniously hauled off to The Hague,&quot; he said.</p><p>Duterte is maintaining his innocence amidst the charges, Kaufman also said, stressing that the former president &quot;stands behind his legacy resolutely.&quot;</p><p>In a statement, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro called Kaufman&#x27;s claims &quot;preposterous.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kaufman has the temerity to accuse President Marcos of trying to neutralize Duterte&#x27;s  legacy. That is preposterous. He seems to be the one  suffering from severe cognitive impairment, and not his client, because he  tremendously forgets the timeline,&quot; Castro said.</p><p>&quot;The crimes against humanity cases were filed before the International Criminal Court in 2017, when President Marcos, Jr. was still a private citizen,&quot; she pointed out. </p><p>&quot;Kaufman does not offer a clear defense for his client’s alleged extrajudicial killings, which reportedly happened during Duterte&#x27;s time as mayor. In addition, one of the counsels, Silvestre Bello III, admitted that Duterte killed someone by throwing him out of a helicopter. He should learn the facts of his case rather than focus on political rhetoric.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/victims-counsel-warns-of-risks-if-charges-against-duterte-are-not-confirmed-1900">READ: Victims&#x27; counsel warns of risks if charges against Duterte are not confirmed</a></div><p>Kaufman later responded to Castro by saying that the Palace press officer had &quot;gone into crisis mode.&quot; </p><p>&quot;She knows very well who was doing her master&#x27;s dirty business,&quot; Kaufman said in a statement. &quot;I can assure Ms. Castro that my medical advisors have given me a clean bill of health and that they are also available to treat the raw nerves I seem to have touched.&quot;</p><p>The prosecution had opened the four-day pre-trial by seeking to convince the judges that there is enough evidence that Duterte committed the alleged crimes against humanity.</p><p>ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, in an open court, accused Duterte, 80, of being an indirect co-perpetrator for the alleged &quot;widespread and systematic&quot; killings committed from November 2011 to March 2019 — a period that covered his term as mayor of Davao City and as president of the Philippines. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hJTx5L0eIh4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sought to "neutralize" his predecessor, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the latter's legal counsel claimed on Monday at the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p>

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sought to "neutralize" his predecessor, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the latter's legal counsel claimed on Monday at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Kaufman says Marcos set out to 'neutralize' Duterte and his legacy

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Kaufman says Marcos set out to 'neutralize' Duterte and his legacy

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 23, 2026 09:14 PM PHT

|

Updated February 23, 2026 11:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte ICC

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

International Criminal Court

ICC

war on drugs

crime against humanity

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