Respect the judicial process, Kaufman tells Duterte supporters

The lead counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity of murder before the International Criminal Court (ICC), has asked the former Philippine leader's supporters to respect the judicial process and not to interfere in the independence of the Court.

- By RAYMUND ANTONIO

British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman told reporters in The Hague, the Netherlands on Tuesday, April 1, that the Duterte family wished for him to convey to their supporters "that the judicial process must be respected."

"There should be no interference in the judicial process. Politics is one issue," he said, further asking for "full respect" for all participants—the prosecution, the defense, the counsels, and the victims—in the process.

"No one should interfere with that process. Let it run its course," he added.

Supporters of the former president have been holding protests, rallies, and demonstrations around the world against his detention in The Hague, with 16 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) now detained in Qatar for holding illegal demonstrations there last week.

On social media, Duterte's supporters have been harassing the ICC judges' personal and professional pages, and have also been messaging American author Nicholas Kaufmann after they mistook him for the former president's lead counsel.