Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has publicly dismissed recent comments by Nicholas Kaufman, the legal adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, who labeled Roque as "irrelevant" in connection to Duterte’s ongoing legal battles.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Roque questioned Kaufman’s focus on him, stating, "What? Why me? Why am I the subject—again—of Mr. Nicholas Kaufman’s latest rant?"

Kaufman, in an interview released Friday, emphasized that there are no personal conflicts among those important to Duterte and described Roque as a non-factor, criticizing him for what he called "comical intrigues."

Roque challenged Kaufman to instead address concerns raised by Honeylet Avanceña, Duterte’s common-law wife, regarding her alleged suspension from visiting Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague. "Why is he so bothered by my 'irrelevant' existence and connect me with Ms. Avanceña’s suspension of visitation rights?" Roque remarked, calling the allegations a "Kaufman-style blame game."

He urged Kaufman to focus on securing Duterte’s release, stating, "Again, Mr. Kaufman, I pray for the success of your Legal Team. Please bring former President Rodrigo Duterte home alive. Focus. The Filipino people are watching and waiting."

The tension between Roque and Kaufman intensified after reports surfaced that Roque sought legal aid from a Dutch lawyer to sue the Dutch government over its role in Duterte’s transfer to the ICC detention center. Kaufman dismissed this as a "crazy scheme" and warned Roque against interfering in Duterte’s case, urging him instead to resolve his own legal issues in the Philippines.

Roque, however, reaffirmed his commitment, stating, "My support to the Duterte Legal Defense continues. There is no truth that I have interfered in the case or that I have given statements that might affect the Defense legal strategy in the ICC."

Duterte was detained at the ICC headquarters last March following his arrest on charges related to alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs. Official government reports indicate the drug war resulted in at least 6,000 deaths, while human rights organizations and the ICC prosecutor estimate the toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019, highlighting concerns over extrajudicial killings.