Duterte ICC Case Shifts: Lead Lawyer Seeks Exit Before Trial
Nicholas Kaufman has asked the ICC to let him withdraw as Rodrigo Duterte’s counsel as the former president reorganizes his defense team before trial.
Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC case entered another key turn after Nicholas Kaufman asked the International Criminal Court to let him withdraw as the former president’s legal counsel before the trial phase begins.
In a May 8 filing, Kaufman said his engagement as Duterte’s lead counsel ended on March 31, 2026. He asked the court for permission to formally step back from the case under ICC rules.
The request still needs approval from ICC Trial Chamber III, which is handling Duterte’s case involving three counts of crimes against humanity of murder linked to the anti-drug campaign during his administration.
Kaufman said the defense team visited Duterte on May 7, when the former president expressed his desire to hire replacement counsel. A new lawyer, whose name was redacted in the public filing, has reportedly agreed to immediately take over representation and attend the May 27 status conference.
The legal reshuffle also includes associate counsel Dov Jacobs, whose withdrawal was approved by the ICC in a separate May 8 ruling. The chamber said the move would not prejudice Duterte’s representation, while noting that the former president was reorganizing his defense team ahead of trial proceedings.
Source: Philstar.com
