The defense team of former President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) release of names identified as alleged “co-perpetrators” in its crimes against humanity case, branding the claims as unfounded.
Lead counsel Atty. Nicholas Kaufman said the camp had long been aware of the individuals mentioned and maintained confidentiality in compliance with court rules.
He stressed:
“This puts to lie the utter falsity of the claim that the former president’s interim release would endanger the integrity of the Prosecution’s investigation.”
The ICC’s less-redacted Document Containing the Charges (DCC) listed several prominent figures, including Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go, former police chiefs Vicente Danao, Camilo Cascolan, and Oscar Albayalde, ex-NBI director Dante Gierran, and former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, among others.
Kaufman dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and lacking merit, stating:
“Accordingly, the Prosecution has now revealed the names of what it alleges to be criminal co-perpetrators—something that we will prove to be completely lacking in truth. None of these co-perpetrators are, in my opinion, currently subject to arrest warrants.”
He also criticized media coverage of the disclosure as sensationalized and suggested it was meant to cast doubt on the Senate.
“It flies in the face of prosecutorial logic to seek further warrants in the Philippines situation before the decision of the Appeals Chamber on the former President’s jurisdictional challenge.”
The defense’s strong rebuttal highlights the continuing legal and political tensions surrounding the ICC proceedings, with Duterte’s camp maintaining that the allegations carry no legal or factual basis.