Malacañang on Saturday pushed back against claims made by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s camp, accusing his lawyer of distorting the government’s position on his plea for interim release before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a redacted filing dated September 26, Duterte’s counsel Nicholas Kaufman told the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I that the Marcos administration would not object to his client’s request. Kaufman anchored his claim on the recent statement of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.
According to Kaufman, Castro’s remarks implied that Malacañang was open to Duterte’s temporary liberty, citing her reference to Vice President Sara Duterte’s disclosure that a third country had agreed to host her father.
But Castro quickly rebuked Kaufman, stressing that he had misrepresented the Palace’s stance.
“Kaufman appears to have mastered the art of twisting some facts,” Castro said, recalling a previous instance where he claimed the ICC prosecutor did not oppose Duterte’s release — only for it to be contradicted later by an official opposition.
Castro reiterated that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration has nothing to do with Duterte’s case at The Hague.
“Again, with emphasis … we want to be clear that the Marcos Jr. administration is not privy to and has no hand in former president Duterte’s ongoing trial before [the] ICC, particularly his request for interim release,” she said.
Still, she noted that the government would abide by whatever ruling the ICC issues: “As part of the legal process, no matter what the ICC decides, we will still respect it.”
In documents signed by ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, Duterte has been indicted on three counts of crimes against humanity, tied to the deaths of 78 individuals during the anti-drug campaign he launched as Davao City mayor and later pursued as president.