Rodrigo Duterte to seek legal aid from ICC—VP Sara
Vice President Sara Duterte said that they may seek legal aid from the International Criminal Court for former president Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged war against humanity case.
The vice president said that she has already hinted to her father's lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman about her plans.
“Sa ngayon ay wala kaming pinag uusapan ng abogado pero nagpahiwatig na ako sa kanya kung pwede mag apply ng legal aid diyan sa loob ng ICC. Patuloy naming pinag uusapan ito,” Sara told the media on Thursday when she was asked how much her family has spent on the ICC case.
“Noong isang araw nasabihan ko na siya na malaki ang posibilidad na mag-apply kami ng legal aid at hindi ito privately funded case,” she said.
The ICC has a Legal Aid System for defense teams and victims, who are assessed to be partially or wholly indigent, to ensure they are effectively represented before the court.
On choosing Kaufman as the lead counsel
As for the rest of the controversial ex-leader's legal team, only lead counsel Kaufman, an ICC-accredited lawyer with over three decades of experience in international criminal law, has been named.
During her press conference, Sara shared she personally picked by the British-Israeli lawyer after a rigorous screening process.
“Ako ang pumili sa kanya. In-endorse ko siya kay [former] president Duterte noong sinusundan ko airplane niya. Noong naintindihan ko na anong gagawin ng pamahalaan sa kanya, gumawa na ako ng paraan na mayroong sasalo sa kanya na abogado dito sa The Hague,” Sara detailed.
“Maraming mga pangalan ang pinadala sakin ng iba’t ibang grupo. Mayroon din mga lawyers din na nag-apply mismo at ginawan ko siya ng shortlist. May inutusan ako na abogado sa Pilipinas na mag interview... Si [Nicholas] Kaufman ang nasa top three ng listahan na ‘yon,” she continued.
She added that she has yet to interview another lawyer for the legal team. Once finalized, she said that she won’t disclose the rest of the members to “protect their privacy.”
“Ako ang pumili, ako ang nagsabi kay [former] president Duterte kay Nicholas Kaufman, kung palpak man, ako ang mabnanagot sa taumbayan,” Sara said.
Kaufman has represented high-profile businessmen and politicians, including former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba and former Central African Republic minister Maxime Mokom.
Duterte still seeking Davao mayoral post
Amid his detention at The Hague, the vice president said that Rodrigo is still eyeing his return as mayor in his bailiwick.
“Hanapan nalang namin ng ibang paraan pano maiuwi ang dating pangulo. He expressed that already as well kasi sinabi niya magiging mayor pa siya. He needs to get back home because he needs to serve the people of Davao City,” Sara said.
Commission on Elections Commissioner Ernest Maceda previously said that the former president is still in the mayoralty race as he has not yet withdrawn his candidacy nor had he been disqualified.
Following Rodrigo's initial appearance before the ICC, where he was informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed as well as his rights as a defendant, he is now set to appear in another hearing on Sept. 23 for the confirmation of charges.
The judges will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the charges against him.
Rodrigo Duterte could be the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC.
If the charges against him are confirmed, it could be months before the case eventually goes on trial, and years before a final judgment is rendered.
