The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed the appointment of Atty. Dov Jacobs as the newest member of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team. This update was disclosed in an ICC Registry document signed on April 7 by Marc Dubuisson on behalf of the registrar.
Jacobs joins the defense as associate counsel, following a request by lead counsel Atty. Nicholas Kaufman. His appointment was officially accepted on April 3 and solidified after he signed the required undertakings on April 7 under the ICC’s professional conduct rules.
Before joining Duterte’s defense, Jacobs represented Mahamat Said Abdel Kani in another ICC case. However, earlier this year, the prosecution in that case sought to exclude him as a witness due to a possible conflict of interest.
Jacobs previously voiced concerns about the legality of the ICC’s jurisdiction over Duterte, especially since the Philippines had already withdrawn from the Rome Statute in 2019. He argued on LinkedIn that such jurisdiction may be legally flawed.
So far, Duterte’s defense team includes only foreign lawyers, with no Filipinos formally appointed. While some Filipino lawyers are assisting behind the scenes, Kaufman emphasized that they’re doing so out of goodwill.
Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who represented Duterte during his March 14 court appearance, has since stepped aside as the team has now been finalized. Meanwhile, ex-presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, despite his legal background, was not included due to his asylum application in the Netherlands.
Vice President Sara Duterte, who spent three weeks in The Hague organizing her father’s legal defense, confirmed that her role there has concluded. She has also helped coordinate a visitation schedule among the Duterte family to support the former president at Scheveningen Prison.
Sara clarified that the family would shoulder all travel expenses themselves and would not accept donations, affirming their commitment to a “KKB” (kanya-kanyang bayad or pay-your-own-way) approach.