MANILA – Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, lead counsel for former President Rodrigo Duterte, refuted circulating online claims that the former chief executive had been found unconscious earlier in the day in his cell at The Hague, Netherlands.
Kaufman, in a statement on late Saturday, described the reports as baseless, saying he had personally spoken with Duterte.
“I would like to state, in no uncertain terms, that the information circulating on the internet suggesting that former President Duterte was found unconscious in his cell this morning is totally untrue,” Kaufman said.
Duterte is currently detained while facing charges of crimes against humanity for murder and attempted murder.
“I have just spoken to him and he is stoically awaiting the judgment of the ICC Appeals Chamber on the matter of interim release,” he said.
The clarification comes ahead of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) announcement of its ruling on Duterte’s plea for interim release.
The ICC Appeals Chamber is set to deliver its decision live on November 28 at 10:30 a.m. in The Hague (5:30 p.m. Philippine time).
In an appeal submitted on October 14, Kaufman argued that the pre-trial chamber committed several errors when it declined to release the former president.
He said the chamber incorrectly assessed Duterte’s supposed flight risk, dismissed assurances from states willing to receive him, and failed to weigh humanitarian concerns.
The appeal stressed Duterte’s condition, stating: “Mr. Duterte is 80 years old, infirm, and debilitated. It is, quite simply, cruel to detain him while he enjoys the presumption of innocence. A court of law set up to address the crimes of ultimate concern to humanity may also show compassion.”
It also said the former chief executive had no intention or ability to escape or return to political life, adding: “Mr. Duterte has neither the desire nor capacity to flee or to return to a life of power or politics. He merely seeks interim release in a country where he can participate in the confirmation proceedings in a setting conducive to his proven weak state of mental and physical health.”/PN
