Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, questioned the ability of International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan to carry out his duties amid Khan’s disqualification from handling the former president’s case.

“He [Karim Khan] can't really carry out his role as the prosecutor,” Kaufman said in a Facebook video shared by the page Alvin in Tourism.

Khan previously represented victims of extra-judicial drug-related killings in the Philippines, including the Philippine Human Rights Commission (PHRC), on the international stage in 2018.

Three years later, he was appointed ICC prosecutor, and in 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity.

Following Duterte’s detention in March, his defense team filed an appeal against Khan, with the ruling handed down on 15 October.

“So what we argued was that having a prosecutor who formally represented victims suddenly changing sides and becoming the prosecutor,” Kaufman explained.

“The investigation was contaminated when he represented those victims back in 2018,” he added.

Kaufman also expressed hope for Duterte’s release and continued involvement in the case.

“We hope that he will be released and that he will continue to follow the case, continue to participate in the case,” he said.