Marilyn Cahatol

Families of extrajudicial killing victims gather at the University of the Philippines Diliman to watch the International Criminal Court pre-trial proceedings in The Hague involving the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

EJK- ICC

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/177214384660020260223-icc-duterte-victim-families-up-MT10.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Families of extrajudicial killing victims gather at the University of the Philippines Diliman to watch the International Criminal Court pre-trial proceedings in The Hague involving the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte. <em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>THE HAGUE, Netherlands — President Rodrigo Duterte’s lead defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman on Thursday shared he “does not make light” of the drug war victims’ grief, but stood firm that his client “has been wrongly charged” at the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p><p>Kaufman gave the statement after he was asked why he clarified in his court assertion that his criticisms against the case would not be “leveled at the loved ones” of drug war victims.</p><p>“In every case, the victims are always central to the case, but that has nothing to do with whether or not someone who’s brought before this court is criminally responsible,” he told reporters in a chance interview.</p><p>“Of course I felt for the old lady in the gallery who was crying because I’m a human being, we’re all human beings and I don’t make light of her grief,” he said.</p><p>“Having said that, I have a job to do and my job is to defend somebody who I believe has been wrongly charged.”</p><p>Kaufman earlier described the crimes against humanity allegations against Duterte as exaggerations from the media and political propaganda “heavily-funded” by the former President’s rich and powerful foes.</p><div><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/h24Mdx9Y4cY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><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/ODROar1o5sg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>When asked if he was confident that he could convince the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I that there is insufficient crimes against humanity evidence against Duterte, Kaufman said: “I’m not gonna give you points, I’m not gonna give points to the prosecution or the victims or even to myself.”</p><p>“We must wait until tomorrow and see what happens. One more day,” he added.</p><p>Meantime, Kaufman said that Duterte “is in good spirit” during his last visit on February 25.</p><p>“Yesterday we had a day off, I went up to the prison and I told him everything I that was going on,” he said.</p><p>“Of course he is not rejoicing, he is in prison.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/26/kaufman-icc-prosecution-failed-to-show-alleged-ejks-targeted-entire-filipino-population-1950">Kaufman: ICC prosecution failed to show alleged EJKs targeted entire Filipino population</a></div><p>Duterte is facing 3 counts of crimes against humanity before the ICC due to the thousands of suspected drug users and peddlers killed under his administration’s drug war.</p><p>He has waived his right to appear before the chamber, insisting that the ICC has no jurisdiction over his person.</p><p>While the former president’s camp has questioned the ICC jurisdiction over the case, underscoring that the Philippines has a working judicial system, Kaufman said that raising this question during the confirmation hearing was inappropriate.</p><p>“We know that the Appeals Chamber still has to render a decision on that,” he said.</p><p>“It’s not the place to argue jurisdiction in the confirmation hearing.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/25/icc-grants-duterte-s-request-to-skip-hearing-reviewing-his-detention-2311">ICC grants Duterte&#x27;s request to skip hearing reviewing his detention</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xs2Auw_KCVE?si=SxV5Y_xoNx2UWT6l" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>President Rodrigo Duterte’s lead defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman on Thursday shared he “does not make light” of the drug war victims’ grief, but stood firm that his client “has been wrongly charged” at the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p>

President Rodrigo Duterte’s lead defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman on Thursday shared he “does not make light” of the drug war victims’ grief, but stood firm that his client “has been wrongly charged” at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Victims 'always central' to ICC case but Duterte still 'wrongly charged': Kaufman

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Victims 'always central' to ICC case but Duterte still 'wrongly charged': Kaufman

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 27, 2026 06:45 AM PHT

|

Updated February 27, 2026 09:02 AM PHT

Read More:

Nicholas Kaufman

ICC

international criminal court

rodrigo duterte

crimes against humanity

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