Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro pushed back against statements made by Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, defense counsel of former President Rodrigo Duterte, during the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, February 23.

Castro described as “preposterous” Kaufman’s accusation that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was attempting to "neutralize Duterte’s legacy." She stressed that the crimes against humanity complaints were filed before the ICC in 2017—at a time when Marcos was still a private citizen and not yet president.

The Palace official further criticized Kaufman for allegedly failing to present a substantive defense against accusations of extrajudicial killings, particularly those said to have occurred during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor. Castro also pointed out that one of Duterte’s own lawyers, Silvestre Bello III, had publicly acknowledged an incident in which Duterte allegedly killed a person by throwing him out of a helicopter.

“He should learn the facts of his case rather than focus on political rhetoric,” Castro said, emphasizing that the administration rejects claims that the current government is politically motivated in relation to the ICC proceedings.

The ICC confirmation of charges hearing seeks to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to move the case against Duterte to a full trial over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign.