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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider FPRRD doesn't want to replace Kaufman — Sara

FPRRD doesn't want to replace Kaufman — Sara

Published Jan 29, 2026 12:32 pm  |  Updated Jan 29, 2026 02:40 pm
Former president Rodrigo Duterte doesn't want to replace his legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, despite the back-to-back losses in appeals they have filed related to his case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Instead, Duterte told him to do something, according to his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.
"Tinanong ko si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Sabi ko, exactly kung ano yung tanong ninyo: gusto mo ba palitan at hindi ka pa satisfied? Sabi niya, hindi palitan (I asked former President Duterte. I asked him exactly what you were asking: do you want a replacement for Kaufman because you aren't satisfied? He said, 'no')," the Vice President said in an interview in The Hague on Jan. 28.
"Pero meron siyang mga instructions na ibinigay sa legal team. Hindi ko nasabi kung ano yung mga instructions sa legal team. Hindi ko na rin sasabihin kung ano yung mga instructions dahil hindi na rin naman iyon mahalaga (But he gave some instructions to the legal team. I wouldn't mention what the instructions were, because they aren't important anyway)," she added.
Prior to this, the Vice President said she would ask her father about possibly replacing Kaufman after ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected his camp's request to indefinitely adjourn the proceedings, arguing that Duterte was not medically fit to take part in the case.
The former president's camp has been suffering several blows to their case after successive rejections in their appeals. The most significant of which was ICC's Appeals Chamber, which unanimously confirmed the decision rejecting the request for his interim release, ruling once again that his detention remains necessary.
The Chamber’s decision upheld the Pre-Trial Chamber I’s earlier findings on flight risk, witness interference, and the danger of renewed violence.
ICC likewise rejected the defense for an additional expert report, ruling that further medical evidence was neither necessary nor appropriate at that stage.

Related Tags

Sara Duterte Vice President Sara Duterte ICC Rodrigo Duterte President Duterte Nicholas Kaufman
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