Inilahad ng lead defense counsel ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na si Atty. Nicholas Kaufman na hindi umano "disrespect" sa mga namatay sa drug war ang ilalatag nilang depensa para sa dating pangulo sa ikatlong confirmation of charges hearing sa International Criminal Court (ICC), Huwebes, Pebrero 26.

Ngayong ikatlong araw ng pagdinig, ilalatag ni Kaufman ang merits ng defense team ni Duterte para kontrahin ang akusasyon laban sa huli, na kasalukuyang humaharap sa kasong crimes against humanity.

"Before I start I would like to make one general comment, and it's a comment which every defense counsel who appears before this court is obliged to make," panimula ni Kaufman. "If the mainstream media in the Philippines and the NGOs is reporting on his case today, report anything about the defense's submissions, I hope they would at least communicate the following faithfully."

Sunod niyang sinabi na hindi umano pambabastos sa mga namatay sa drug war ang anumang ilalatag nilang depensa. Bagkus ay hihikayatin nila ang mga ICC judge na hindi dapat manatili sa kulungan si Duterte.

"The defense does not disrespect the soul of any deceased person nor does it make light of the loss of life. Any criticism made by us today will not be leveled at the loved ones of those such as the tearful relatives who I saw in the gallery here on Tuesday," ani Kaufman.

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Dagdag pa niya, "The defense's criticism would be confined only to the prosecution's document containing the charges which governs these proceedings not what has been reported else where in the media. It is not the defense's role to give an alternative narrative nor to give an explanation for the facts and figures presented by the prosecution."

"The defense's role is to simply persuade your honors that Mr. Rodrigo Duterte should not remain in detention for years to come simply because. the prosecution cannot make out substantial grounds to believe that this individual committed the crimes of which he is charged," giit pa niya.

Samantala, binanatan ni Kaufman ang local media outlets at iginiit na maraming importanteng bagay daw ang naisasantabi sa mga pahayag ng isang tao habang patuloy na binibigyang-diin lamang ang maaanghang na salita nito—katulad umano ng nangyari noon kay Duterte.

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