Duterte legal team shake-up: Roque, Medialdea out, Kaufman leads

The legal team of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, is being reorganized following the exclusion of former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Vice President Sara Duterte revealed on Tuesday afternoon.

Duterte stated that aside from Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, who will serve as lead counsel, they are also seeking a foreign lawyer to join the defense team after Roque and Medialdea’s withdrawal.

"First of all, his team [former President Duterte] is headed by Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, and then … I still have lawyers to talk to. Another lawyer is coming, I will interview him to join the team. And then, once the team for ICC is already okay, Atty. Medialdea will withdraw because there are only limited slots for lawyers, and we want all the lawyers on board to have ICC experience," the Vice President said during her second visit to her father at the ICC detention facility.

Medialdea had appeared before the pre-trial chamber when the former president made his initial appearance via video link on 14 March.

Roque excluded

Roque, who has applied for asylum in the Netherlands, was not nominated to be part of Duterte’s defense team, the Vice President confirmed.

""It has not yet been established what the basis is for his stay in the Netherlands and we don't want complications," she said.

"We want the lawyers to really focus on the case and right now he's, I heard, applying for asylum? He publicly announced that already, so we want him to focus on his asylum and then we want our lawyers to focus on the case," the Vice President added.

Roque was approached for comment by DAILY TRIBUNE but declined to comment.

The former president remains in high spirits despite his detention, according to Duterte.

"He's charming everyone inside. He's very friendly with people inside, so they have a banter, so they have an exchange. What he said to me, it was like I was in the hotel, except that I cannot go outside," she shared.

The Vice President had initially requested a five-day daily visit but was only granted a single-day visit. She noted that Duterte himself decides who can visit him.

"It's online. So, every time that I need to go there to deliver a message to him, I let him in online, I submit and then they respond. And then, he is the one who says yes or no," she explained.