Drug war victims want assurances that the exit of Nicholas Kaufman as Rodrigo Duterte’s lead counsel at the International Criminal Court will not slow down proceedings, according to human rights lawyer Kristina Conti, who represents victims in the case.
In a Facebook post, Conti acknowledged Duterte’s legal right to change lawyers but drew a clear line on what that right does not include. “The accused Rodrigo Duterte does have the right to counsel of choice. But victims want to be assured that the change will not result in any delay. A new lawyer does not automatically reset time or give rise to new remedies available to the accused,” she wrote.
Conti, who serves as ICC-accredited assistant to counsel for victims’ group Rise Up for Life, expressed measured skepticism over Kaufman’s assurance that his unnamed replacement would be ready for the May 27 status conference — the hearing that formally opens the trial stage of the case. “So far, Nicholas Kaufman has committed that the new lead lawyer will be present at the status conference on May 27, 2026. We’ll take that with a grain of salt,” she said.
The status conference is not a peripheral event. It marks the point at which parties are required to submit documents and evidence ahead of the trial proper, making any disruption to that timeline consequential for the victims Conti represents.
On how victims plan to participate in the May 27 hearing, Conti said their views and concerns would be conveyed through their common legal representatives — Filipino lawyers Joel Butuyan and Gilbert Andres of CenterLaw, who were designated by the ICC to represent drug war victims. “Victims will course their views and concerns, as before, through the common legal representatives who will stand for them in court on May 27th. The general sentiment here is that victims prefer trial begin the soonest possible,” she said.
Conti herself has faced personal risks for her work on the case. Since Duterte’s arrest on an ICC warrant in March 2025, she has been subjected to red-tagging, online attacks, and threats against her and her family — a pattern that international legal organizations have publicly condemned.
