The withdrawal of British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman as lead counsel for former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court drew reactions from lawmakers on Saturday, with some raising questions about the direction of the former president’s legal defense.
Reacting to the development, House Committee on Justice chairperson Gerville Luistro said Kaufman may have decided to step down after legal efforts challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction failed to gain traction.
“Tungkol po sa pag-withdraw ni Atty. Kaufman as lead counsel ni former President, I can only surmise na hindi na siya fulfilled as a lawyer,” Luistro said during a news forum in Quezon City.
She noted that the decision to withdraw reportedly came from Kaufman himself and not from the Duterte camp.
According to Luistro, several legal attempts questioning the ICC’s authority over the case had allegedly been denied, which may have contributed to the lawyer’s decision to leave the defense team.
Still, the lawmaker cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the resignation and urged the public to avoid speculating beyond the official announcement.
Asked whether the withdrawal could be considered a major setback for Duterte’s camp, Luistro declined to characterize it that way and said it would be best for the Duterte family to comment on the matter.
She also rejected the assumption that Kaufman had been removed by his client, noting that reports stated only that the lawyer voluntarily withdrew as lead counsel.
Duterte is facing crimes against humanity charges before the ICC over thousands of deaths linked to his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign. The former president has repeatedly questioned the court’s jurisdiction over the Philippines.