Mamamayang Liberal (Liberal) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima slammed what she described as defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman's "romanticized" foretelling of the life of his client, Rodrigo Duterte, during the ex-Philippine president's confirmation hearing Monday, Feb. 23 before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Kaufman cannot hope to fool the judges with that presentation which was clearly crafted for the people paying him and their DDS followers," De Lima, a former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, said in an X post Monday night.

"Ginawa naman niyang tanga ang mga judge (He made a fool out of the judges)," she said.

DDS in this case means "Duterte diehard supporters".

De Lima noted that "Making out Duterte to be an anti-rich crime buster action hero is Kaufman's strategy to present the case as political persecution."

"In his effort to do so, he put conspiracy theorists to shame," the congresswoman said, her disdain evident.

"His romanticized litany of Duterte's life is something we have heard before from sycophants of strongmen who, like Duterte, justified their crimes as the necessary evil that only they dare to undertake for the cleansing of society," she further said.

Duterte, who has chosen not to appear during the hearing, is facing charges of crimes against humanity for the conduct of a bloody war against illegal drugs during his administration from 2016 to 2022.

The importance of the ICC confirmation hearing wasn't lost on De Lima.

"This is not a moment for triumphalism. It is not a moment for vengeance. It is a watershed moment for reckoning," she said in a privilege speech during Monday's plenary session at the House of Representatives.

"For years, during the so-called “war on drugs,” thousands of Filipinos—overwhelmingly poor, urban, and marginalized—were killed in police operations and vigilante-style executions. Official figures acknowledged more than six thousand deaths. Independent human rights groups estimate far more," she said, alluding to long-held estimates of up to 30,000 deaths.

"These deaths were not isolated incidents. They were not random acts of rogue officers. They were accompanied by public pronouncements encouraging lethal force," underscored De Lima.

"Hindi po ito dahil sa pamumulitika. Hindi rin po ito dahil sa impluwensiya ng dayuhan. Nasasakdal po si Rodrigo Duterte dahil may nangyaring paglabag sa international law–at kailangan niyang managot kung mapatunayan ang kanyang kasalanan," she further said.

(This is not because of politics. Or is it due to foreign influence. Rodrigo Duterte is being indicted because there was a violation of international law—and he must be held accountable if his guilt is proven.)