Medialdea appointed as Duterte's ICC legal counsel

Former President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as one of his legal counsels for International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings.

Medialdea accompanied Duterte on a chartered flight to The Hague, Netherlands, where Duterte was taken into custody by the international tribunal after arriving.

Duterte was arrested by local authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport based on an Interpol red notice alert, stemming from an ICC arrest warrant for crimes against humanity related to his anti-illegal drugs campaign.

During the first ICC hearing on March 14, Medialdea's performance was described as "amateurish" by Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega.

Ortega criticized Medialdea's "theatrics" and attempts to invoke political persecution, stating that the judge saw through his statements.

The congressman also urged an end to what he called "budolterte" or fooling the people, emphasizing that the ICC trial is a serious proceeding, not an election or propaganda war.