Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Carlos Trazo

ABS-CBN News

Defense counsel Atty. Nicholas Kaufman said he will seek permission to appeal the International Criminal Court&#x27;s Pre-Trial Chamber’s confirmation of all charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.Kaufman strongly criticized the chamber, claiming its recent ruling undermines the fair trial rights of the accused.“The Defence will definitely be seeking leave to appeal the most bizarre and Kafkaesque assertion by the Pre-Trial Chamber that there is no need, and I quote, for ‘the charges to contain unnecessary details that could be too specific and limiting at trial’,” Kaufman said. “Perhaps this explains why not one item of evidence was cited in the footnotes to this decision.”He said that the confirmation hearing is meant to establish clarity in the charges. “The whole purpose of a confirmation hearing is to determine the exact nature of charges against which an accused must defend himself. A ‘flexible’ approach as advocated by the Pre-Trial Chamber in paragraph 34 of its decision would not meet this requirement,” Kaufman added.He argued that the ruling favors the prosecution at the expense of his client&#x27;s rights. “In my opinion, this just shows to what extent the Pre-Trial Chamber was prepared to accommodate the Prosecution at the expense of the former President’s fair trial rights,” he said.At the February 2026 hearings, the prosecution alleged that Duterte was responsible for thousands of deaths during his war on drugs. His defense said there was no &quot;smoking gun&quot; directly linking Duterte&#x27;s fiery rhetoric and threats against drug users and actual murders.

Defense counsel Atty. Nicholas Kaufman said he will seek permission to appeal the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber’s confirmation of all charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Defense counsel Atty. Nicholas Kaufman said he will seek permission to appeal the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber’s confirmation of all charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Kaufman to appeal ICC chamber’s confirmation of charges against Duterte

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

Kaufman to appeal ICC chamber’s confirmation of charges against Duterte

Carlos Trazo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 23, 2026 11:25 PM PHT

Read More:

Nicholas Kaufman

defense

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber

ruling

appeal

Rodrigo Duterte

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.