Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman announced that legal defense counsel of former President Rodrigo Duterte has been finalized.

Kaufman, Duterte’s British-Israeli lead lawyer, said that, “The core team is now fully completed… [The names] should be released in a public filing, yes, it should be today (Friday) or maybe Monday.”

He also revealed that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is not part of it. Kaufman said: “Harry is seeking political asylum in The Netherlands and that would be wholly incompatible with employment at the Court.”

“We wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” he added.

The defense team is expected to file for interim release for the former president, a process Kaufman said is “a right which every suspect enjoys, including former President Duterte”.

“In due course, we will be making a request for interim release,” he said, adding that certain guarantees and conditions must be met first.

Asked whether he is prepared to stay with Duterte’s legal defense until the end, Kaufman said, “I will fight for Mr. Duterte until the end.”

“Time to time, clients decide to change their lawyers. That happens in every case and there’s no difference between the International Criminal Court or any other court in the world. So, I’m here to stay. I will fight for Mr. Duterte until the end,” Atty. Kaufman said.

Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of the former president, said Wednesday she was only waiting for a document before coming home to the Philippines. She also expressed hope that her father’s legal team would be completed before she leaves the Netherlands.

The next hearing for the confirmation of Duterte’s charges of crimes against humanity has been set for September 23.

Kaufman was relieved from further legal representation of Central African militia leader Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka due to conflict of interest.

In a document dated March 25, 2022, the Chamber said the proceedings involving The Prosecutor v. Yekatom and Ngaïssona are “substantially related” to Mokom’s case. It noted that the charges in both cases largely overlap.

Because of this, the Chamber ordered the Registry to “revoke or cancel” Kaufman’s appointment and relieve him from further representing Mokom.