He argued that such documents are inaccessible to the “poorest of the poor”—those who, he said, comprise the majority of individuals killed during Mr. Kaufman of making proposals that reflect “total ignorance” of the local socioeconomic conditions, adding that the British-Israeli lawyer is likely “speaking from his experience as a citizen of a wealthy country.” Mr. Butuyan, who is one of the five Filipino lawyers accredited in the international tribunal, warned that enforcing stringent identification requirements would effectively deny recognition to victims’ families, compounding the harm they have already suffered. Kaufman’s suggestion that the Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV) be appointed to represent the victims, calling it “totally abhorrent” that Duterte’s camp would attempt to influence the choice of legal representation. In 2018, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute — the treaty that founded the ICC — after the court announced its preliminary examination of the drug war. Read Full Story
