Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

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/1772073839190photo-collage.png (1)_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Filipino lawyers on Wednesday described  the proceedings in the International Criminal Court (ICC)  as “political” and slammed the prosecution and the victims counsels’ presentations as mere “theatrics.”  ICC Handout and Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Filipino lawyers on Wednesday described  the proceedings in the International Criminal Court (ICC)  as “political” and slammed the prosecution and the victims&#x27; counsels’ presentations as mere “theatrics.”</p><p>The statements echo the rebuttal of Duterte’s lead defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman, who rebutted the opposing camp&#x27;s evidence against Duterte with claims that the current Marcos Jr. administration is out to “neutralize” the former president’s legacy.</p><p>“Personally, I see it as a political matter. Parang balewala ebidensya dito, theatrics e,” said former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.</p><p>“Puro storya lahat na hindi natin alam anong oras, sino kailan, walang sufficient definite test,” he told reporters in a chance interview.</p><p>“Probably, hindi natin alam ang procedure dito sa ICC paano ba ang sistema nila but as lawyers we expect something different. Bigyan ninyo kami ng masasagot namin nang tama,” he said.</p><p>The “political character” of Duterte’s case has always been evident “starting with the forced surrender, the kidnapping” of the former President, said lawyer Martin Delgra, referring to the March 2025 arrest in Manila.</p><p>“There is a policy of the government all across administrations na kapag may isang Pilipino sa labas ng bansa na inaresto, dinitene, tried in court and even convicted, the policy of government across administrations from Cory Aquino all the way to BBM is to exert all available resources of government to bring that Filipino home,” he said.</p><p>“Yun ang nakapagtataka bakit hindi magawa-gawa dito yan sa isang matanda at sakitin, frail as he is now,” he said.</p><p>“Wag na natin sabihing former president. Itrato na lang natin bilang isang Pilipino. Bakit hindi magawa-gawa ng administrasyong Marcos? That is proof na may political character itong prosesong ito.”</p><p>Former Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said he is convinced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration wanted Duterte out of the Philippines despite the incumbent chief executive’s earlier commitment that he would not honor any warrant from the ICC.</p><p>“The goal is to preserve his hold on power,” he said.</p><p>“Ang mga roadblock sa kanila itong mag-amang Duterte. Plinano na nila yan from the very start.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘VERY STRONG DEFENSE’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Duterte’s Filipino team is confident that the former president’s British-Israeli counsel Kaufman “will raise a very strong defense against confirming the charges” on February 26, the scheduled presentation for their rebuttal.</p><p>One of the prosecution’s videos showing a shooting in the Agdao Public Market in Davao has been “rebuked” by the person who took the video, Delgra claimed.</p><p>“Everything, according to him, is not what the ICC prosecutor was trying to portray before the ICC judges,” said the lawyer who also hails from Davao City.</p><p>“Pagdating naman doon sa representatives of the victims, it’s all rhetorics, not a single piece of substantial evidence because that is the basis of the ICC to confirm the charges,” he said.</p><p>“It is all a rhetorical narrative… they even mentioned that it was a war against the poor. Nakapagtataka, yung former president is close to the poor. What is there to say that it is a war against the poor? It is a war against illegal drugs.”</p><p>The first two days of the 4-day proceedings focused on the prosecution and the victims’ counsels explanation on how Duterte allegedly perpetrated as systemic carnage against suspected drug users when he was Davao City mayor, and eventually when he became president in 2016.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘MAS MAGANDANG HINDI SIYA MAG-APPEAR’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Duterte’s Filipino lawyer said they will not be surprised if the Pre-Trial Chamber I will confirm the crimes against humanity charges against the former president, noting how the panel proceeded with the confirmation of charges hearing despite a pending appeal on questions over the court’s jurisdiction.</p><p>“May nag-question sa jurisdiction mo, pending appeal tapos siniset mo na for hearing… ano ba tawag doon? Ibig sabihin itutuloy mo yan. Prini-preempt mo at prini-pre-judge mo na lahat,” Panelo said.</p><p>“So hindi ako magtataka kung ganoon ang mangyayari,” he said.</p><p>The 80-year old Duterte was not present throughout the hearings after the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I granted his request to waive his right to appear during the proceedings, which will determine if there is sufficient evidence to formally launch a full-blown trial.</p><p>“Mas magandang hindi siya mag appear kasi hindi niya nire-recognize ang jurisdiction ng ICC,” Delgra said.</p><p>“It validates or it dignifies the ICC if he will appear before the ICC. Might as well not appear. He’s bringing his fight right on the court.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></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/wIgJu9nh-0M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Filipino lawyers on Wednesday described the proceedings in the International Criminal Court as “political” and slammed the prosecution and the victims counsels’ presentations as mere “theatrics.” </p>

Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Filipino lawyers on Wednesday described the proceedings in the International Criminal Court as “political” and slammed the prosecution and the victims counsels’ presentations as mere “theatrics.”

Duterte’s Filipino lawyers claim ICC confirmation hearings are ‘political’

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Duterte’s Filipino lawyers claim ICC confirmation hearings are ‘political’

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 26, 2026 10:46 AM PHT

|

Updated Feb 26, 2026 10:47 AM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

Salvador Medialdea

Salvador Panelo

Martin Delgra

International Criminal Court

ICC

crimes against humanity

drug war

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