Kaufman says 5 lawyers ready to work on Duterte's defense at ICC

THE HAGUE – A provisional core team of lawyers is ready to start to work next week for the defense of former President Rodrigo Duterte who is facing crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the killings in his administration's war on drugs.

Duterte's ICC-listed counsel Nicholas Kaufman said a Filipino is part of the team but added that team members' names will remain secret.

“We've finalized a team. It's going to be a core team of a maximum of five members and we'll be appointing other people to assist us on a needs-be basis,” Kaufman told reporters after his visit to Duterte at The Hague Penitentiary.

When asked who would comprise Duterte’s defense team, Kaufman said, “I'm not going to divulge the names of the members of the team because I have discussed this with Madam Vice President and we feel it’s appropriate that only I speak to the press." 

"And furthermore, that the press doesn’t hound other members of the team," he said.

Kaufman would not confirm if the team members were listed by the ICC.

Vice President Sara Duterte said in a separate interview that a Filipino lawyer is needed to argue on a certain Philippine legislation. The Filipino lawyer, she said, is probably not ICC-accredited.

''But we'll see. Depende sa abilidad ng lawyer (It depends on the ability of the lawyer),'' she said.

She said she was able to talk to the legal team on Thursday night.

Kaufman also said the legal team plans to file a petition for Duterte's interim release.

"Interim release is part of the course of this institution. In nearly every case, an application for interim release is submitted. I'll file it when I feel it is appropriate," he said. –NB/VBL, GMA Integrated News