Refocusing Perspectives

  (Transcript of the Final Submission of Defense Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman at the International Criminal Court during the Confirmation Charges Hearing of former Philippines' president Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Feb. 2026. First of two parts). "I would like to start off by addressing the requirement that the acts of murder alleged be committed as part of or in themselves constitute a widespread or systematic attack. The second requirement is that these acts of murder be directed against the civilian population.  With respect to the unique ICC requirement of an organizational policy, I would suggest that this concept has been conflated with the common plan and as such I shall address the matter later in mysubmissions. So to start by reference to the widespread or systematic nature of the attack, I would like to draw your honor's attention to the fact that count one contains nine incidents of murder in one city, Davao, hardly widespread. Miss Robin Croft in her submissions yesterda...

  This discusses insights about community-based immersion and offers practical standard mechanisms to protect university students engaged in this program, particularly in high-risk community immersion areas and, more critically, in potential conflict zones where latent conflict between rebels and government forces have all the conditions to escalate into violence. It attempts to examine the institutional frameworks, legal considerations, operational protocols, and welfare dimensions crucial for ensuring student safety and well-being during such experiential learning initiatives. The discussion emphasizes the collaborative roles of universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government agencies in establishing robust protection measures . 1. Introduction University-led community immersion programs are integral to various academic disciplines, including public works, social work, nursing, and social sciences. These programs facilitate experiential learning, data gather...