Manila, Sept. 27 -- Malacanang on Saturday slammed the camp of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte for distorting facts related to his request for interim release from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This was after Duterte's legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman, in a redacted document dated Sept. 26, relayed to the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber 1 the alleged position of the Philippine government, citing the recent statement made by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.

Kaufman told the ICC that Malacanang would not oppose Duterte's interim release plea, based on Castro's remarks that "Vice President Sara Duterte seemed to benefit from her travels abroad after she said that a third country already expressed approval to host her ...