Duterte has accepted his fate – Kaufman

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March 1, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — As he and his accusers await the International Criminal Court’s decision in 60 days whether to confirm the charges against him, former president Rodrigo Duterte appears resigned to the prospect of dying in prison for crimes against humanity, according to his chief lawyer.

In his closing statement for the confirmation of charges against Duterte before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on Friday, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman relayed a supposed conversation he had with the former president in his detention facility at the ICC Detention Center in The Hague.

Supporters and critics may have been reminded of his tough, unfiltered persona through videos of his speech played at the Courtroom 1 of the ICC this week, but it was a different Rodrigo Duterte that his defense counsel wanted to portray in front of the tribunal.

Duterte, his lawyer said, appeared resigned to his fate at the international tribunal.

“He looked at me solemnly and said, ‘Mr. Kaufman, Nick, I have done my duty and I have left my legacy. Go to court and do your job. But I can no longer help you. I no longer remember much at all, and I can’t comment on people who I do not know and on statistics that mean nothing to me,’” the defense lawyer told the court.

“He then concluded and pronounced as follows, ‘I was a faithful servant of the people and that is how I wish to be remembered. I have now accepted my fate, and I realized that I could die in prison,’” Kaufman added.

While in line with his previous submissions of Duterte’s supposed medical condition, the image that Kaufman wanted to portray was a clear contrast to the tough-talking leader whose pronouncements became cornerstone in the prosecution’s case.

In his final submission during the confirmation hearings, the defense reiterated its position that there were no evidence that would link Duterte to the killings during his anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“If Rodrigo Duterte is to be faulted for anything, it is for his inappropriate choice of language. But he murdered no one,” Kaufman told the judges.

“I ask you, I beg you not to confirm any of the charges. I ask you to let Rodrigo Duterte return to the Philippines – not to govern, but simply to let him live out the rest of his days in peace in his humble dwelling in Davao,” he added.

After Kaufman’s closing statement, Julian Nicholls, senior trial lawyer from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, asked the judges strike from the record the supposed conversation between Duterte and his lawyer.

“None of that was responsive to arguments,” Nicholls told the chamber. Referring to Kaufman, he said: “My friend can’t testify for his client or make a speech for his client… He (Duterte) could have come here and talked about whatever he wanted to, but he chose not to.”

Duterte was allowed to skip the proceedings after he submitted a waiver stating that he understands his right and consequences of waiving this right.

Both the prosecutor and the common legal representatives of the victims deplored his absence from the proceedings. — Bella Cariaso