Medialdea at Roque, hindi na kabilang sa legal team ni FPRRD, ayon kay VP Sara

- Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque will no longer be part of former president Rodrigo Duterte's ICC defense team, as confirmed by Vice President Sara Duterte

- British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has been designated as Duterte’s lead counsel, with additional lawyers being considered for the team

- Roque's application for asylum in the Netherlands has contributed to his exclusion from the defense team, as the vice president emphasized avoiding complications

- Medialdea’s withdrawal is due to limited available slots for lawyers, with priority given to those experienced in ICC proceedings

Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque will no longer be part of former president Rodrigo Duterte's defense team for his case in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This, according to his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, as reported by ANC 24/7.

Vice President Duterte revealed the development on Tuesday, after making a second visit to her father at the ICC detention facility.

Read also

Robin Padilla, ipinaliwanag ang pagkakaibigan ni FPRD at Salvador Medialdela

"Unang-una, his team is headed by Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, and then … meron pa akong mga kakausapin na mga lawyers 'no. Meron pang darating na isang abugado, i-interview ko siya para sumali sa team. And then, once maayos na yung team for ICC, magwi-withdraw si Atty. Medialdea kasi meron lang limited na mga slots for lawyers, and we want all the lawyers on board na merong ICC experience," said Duterte.

Medialdea appeared before the ICC Pre-Trial chamber when former president Duterte made his first appearance -- via videolink -- last Friday, March 14.

The vice president last week said that Kaufman, a British-Israeli lawyer, will be her father's lead counsel with Roque and Medialdea initially set to be supporting lawyers.

Roque, who on Monday bared his plans to apply for asylum in the Netherlands, has not been nominated to be part of the former President's defense team as well.

"Hindi pa kasi na-establish kung ano yung basis ng pag-stay niya dito sa Netherlands and we don't want complications ba," Vice President Duterte said.

Read also

VP Sara Duterte, hindi magiging abogado ni FPRRD sa ICC, ayon kay Harry Roque

"Gusto namin nakatutok talaga yung lawyers doon sa kaso and right now he's, I heard, applying for asylum? He publicly announced that already, so we want him to focus on his asylum and then we want our lawyers to focus on the case," she added.

News, photos or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, such could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable to just about simply everyone.

Meanwhile, GMA News took to Instagram to warn about a fake video that is being spread on social media. According to GMA News, the fake "prayer rally video" for PRRD in Cebu was edited, and that the original was actually their video taken during the Sinulog. The network then shared a side by side comparison of the fake video vis-a-vis the real video that they shot from Sinulog Festival. GMA also explained that the video was during a procession of the devotees on January 17, 2025.

Read also

Sen. Bato, pwedeng manatili sa Senado paglabas ng ICC warrant, ayon kay Senate President Escudero

In other news, illicit drug trade disguised as a parcel distribution center was recently uncovered by authorities. In a surveillance video shared on 24 Oras Weekend, one can see an individual receiving a parcel from a rider in front of an apartment building. Subsequently, another person seen waiting for another set of package in the same place. Authorities later swooped down on the said parcel distribution center and seized pastic bag and sachets of suspected illegal substance with an estimated street value of around 6.8 million pesos.

Proofreading by Josh Medina, copy editor at KAMI.com.gh.

Source: KAMI.com.gh