Carpio doubts Duterte counsel’s acquittal forecast

Nicholas Kaufmanv(SCREENGRAB FROM ICC VIDEO)

MANILA, Philippines — It would be an uphill battle for international lawyer Nicolas Kaufman to obtain an acquittal for the crimes against humanity complaint of his client, former President Rodrigo Duterte, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio said on Friday.

Kaufman earlier expressed  confidence that Duterte will be freed by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I do not share the same view because the evidence against Duterte, including his numerous extrajudicial confessions, are overwhelming,” Carpio told INQUIRER.net in a text message when asked about his opinion on Kaufman’s remarks.

Carpio also shared the same opinion with ICC-accredited lawyer Joel Butuyan. 

“You can be the best and the brightest defense lawyer in the world—but with a client that provided the ammunition to the prosecution, like in this particular case, I don’t know how you can actually obtain an acquittal,” Butuyan said in an online forum on Monday, adding that prosecution’s case is  “airtight.”

Duterte repeatedly admitted  ordering the police to kill during the drug war.

At least 6,000 were killed in the war on drugs, according to official government data. But human rights watchdogs and the ICC prosecutor estimated the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019.

READ: The fall of ‘The Punisher’: Rodrigo Duterte’s path to the ICC

On March 11, Duterte was arrested at the  Ninoy Aquino International Airport and flown to The Hague, where he is now being detained.

Duterte had his pretrial on March 14, while his confirmation of charges will be held on September 23, before which he could appeal for an interim release.