MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 23 February) – Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense counsel before the International Criminal Court (ICC), Nicholas Kaufman, blamed the media, nongovernment organizations, and human rights activists for Duterte’s arrest and detention on charges of crimes against humanity. During the confirmation of charges hearing on Monday night (Philippine time), Kaufman accused the media, controlled by the powerful and politically influential, of portraying Duterte negatively with sensational headlines and twisted editorial slants to sell papers and promote partisan agendas. He claimed the media highlighted salacious content while ignoring context, making Duterte a target of privately-funded NGOs and human rights activists. Kaufman argued that media reports, with titles like “License to Kill” and “You Can Die Anytime,” crafted shocking images of the anti-drug campaign to sway public emotions, presenting their narratives as unchallengeable truths. He also criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for reneging on his earlier promise not to assist the ICC in its investigation into Duterte’s drug war, contrasting Duterte’s sincerity with Marcos Jr.’s unreliability. Kaufman defended the drug war against accusations of targeting the poor, citing Duterte’s redistributive policies, such as income tax reforms, the 4Ps cash transfer program, and universal health care, as evidence of his commitment to poverty alleviation. He emphasized that the majority of drug-related fatalities occurred in deprived areas, a common issue in afflicted societies, and questioned how Duterte, who lived frugally and shunned luxuries, could be accused of waging war against the needy. Kaufman highlighted Duterte’s dedication to law and order, developed during his tenure as a public prosecutor and mayor of Davao City, where he earned the love and respect of citizens, not through murder and mayhem, as the prosecution claims.
