Duterte lawyer urges ICC to probe Marcos over killingsMANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has challenged the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution to investigate what he described as the "sky-high" rate of killings under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.During the defense presentation on February 26 (Manila time), Kaufman presented statistics from the Dahas Project of the University of the Philippines’ Third World Studies Center, which recorded 342 killings during the first year of the Marcos administration alone. Kaufman also contended that for Duterte to be held liable as a co-perpetrator, the prosecution must prove that the alleged crimes would not have occurred without his specific involvement. However, it should be noted that the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 following the former president's unilateral withdrawal from the international tribunal. In the ongoing proceedings, prosecutors have leveled three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte. These charges encompass 78 specific instances of murder and attempted murder allegedly committed during his dual tenures as mayor of Davao City and president of the Philippines.

Source: Philippine Star February 27, 2026 10:33 UTC