Duterte Supporters Swarm Wrong Person Over ICC Case

(SPOT.ph) The internet never fails to do the most—especially when it gets the details wrong. In a rush to defend Rodrigo Duterte, some of his most passionate supporters have been swarming the social media account of an American author who has absolutely nothing to do with the International Criminal Court (ICC) case. His only "crime"? Sharing a name with Duterte’s lawyer.

American writer Nicholas Kaufmann took to Facebook recently to express his frustration over being mistaken for his tukayo Nicholas Kaufman, the British-Israeli defense attorney representing Duterte at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.

“PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, I AM *NOT* THE ICC LAWYER NICHOLAS KAUFMAN WHO IS REPRESENTING PRESIDENT DUTERTE! PLEASE STOP MESSAGING ME!” Kaufmann wrote in a post on March 21. It’s now the pinned post on his personal Facebook account, but even that didn’t stop the messages from pouring in.

Kaufmann said it began with Duterte supporters, but he received apologies from anti-Duterte commenters over time who claimed many of the pro-Duterte replies were likely from bots.

Not too long after, Kaufmann followed up with another post on April 1: “I am being absolutely flooded today with followers and commenters from the Philippines who I guess don't believe I'm not Duterte's lawyer. Our names aren't even spelled the same (he's Kaufman with one N). It's insane!”

Also read: Did the Philippines Really Surrender Duterte to the ICC?

Will the real Nicholas Kaufman please stand up?

The two Nicholases couldn’t be more different.

One is a noted author in the horror fiction, urban fantasy, and adventure fiction genre; the other is a veteran international defense lawyer with a long resume of handling war crimes.

Nicholas Kaufman’s appointment comes after Vice President Sara Duterte announced that former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea and ex-presidential spokesperson Harry Roque would no longer be part of the defense team—opting instead for foreign lawyers with actual ICC experience.

In the meantime, the American Kaufmann (with two N’s!) would really just like to go back to writing novels in peace.

Also read: Duterte Is Arrested on ICC Warrant. What Happens Next?