Malacañang said the lead defense counsel of former president Rodrigo Duterte should focus on the legal work for his client before the International Criminal Court instead of dwelling on Philippine politics,

Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in the Philippines last year and flown to The Hague, where the global court is located. He denies the charges against him. Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for deadly anti-drug crackdowns he allegedly oversaw while in office.