Malacañang Fires Back at Duterte's ICC Lawyer: 'Preposterous' to Claim Marcos Plotted Against His Predecessor

The Palace wasn't having it. Malacañang on Monday fired back at Nicolas Kaufman, former President Rodrigo Duterte's lead defense lawyer at the ICC, after he suggested during the pre-trial hearing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had conspired with unnamed individuals to funnel witnesses to the international court.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro called the accusation "preposterous," pointing out that the ICC crimes against humanity case was filed back in 2017 — when Marcos was still a private citizen with no power to influence anything at The Hague. "He seems to be the one suffering from severe cognitive impairment, and not his client," Castro said in a burn that clearly referenced the defense team's own claims about Duterte's declining mental health.

Castro argued that instead of mounting a real defense, Kaufman is resorting to "political rhetoric" and conspiracy theories about Marcos trying to "neutralize Duterte's legacy." She urged the Israeli-British lawyer to focus on the actual facts of the case rather than spinning political narratives.

The Palace spokesperson also went a step further, bringing up former Duterte Cabinet secretary Silvestre Bello III — who is also part of Duterte's legal team — and his alleged admission that the former president once killed someone by "throwing him out of a helicopter." That's a pretty savage counterpunch from the Palace, essentially using Duterte's own ally's words against him.

The exchange highlights just how messy the ICC proceedings are getting — it's not just prosecutors vs. defense anymore, but a three-way battle involving the current Philippine government pushing back against any suggestion that it's pulling strings behind the scenes. Expect more fireworks as the confirmation of charges hearing continues through Friday.

Source: The Manila Times