US horror author Nicholas Kaufmann begs Filipinos: ‘I’m not Duterte’s ICC lawyer, please stop messaging me’

Novelist Nicholas Kaufmann. EXPAT MEDIA/ARCHIVE

American horror novelist Nicholas Kaufmann has become the unlikely subject of a social media storm after being mistaken for British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, who is defending former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC). “For weeks, I’ve been flooded with messages from people in the Philippines thinking I’m Duterte’s lawyer. It’s overwhelming,” the 56-year-old author told This Week in Asia. The confusion stems from the near-identical names: Kaufmann, the horror novelist, has two Ns in his surname, while Kaufman the lawyer has only one. However, to Duterte’s ardent followers, the difference has gone unnoticed. Messages poured in from Filipinos calling him “attorney” and begging him to “bring our beloved president home.” Many referred to Duterte by his nickname “Tatay Digong.” “It was quite sudden,” said Kaufmann. “Nicholas Kaufman was appointed as Duterte’s counsel on March 17. That same day I began to be inundated with followers from the Philippines.” Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11 and flown to The Hague to face trial at the ICC for his administration’s deadly war on drugs. Kaufman the lawyer officially accepted the case on March 17. Despite repeatedly clarifying his identity, the author continues to be bombarded with messages and comments. On March 21, he posted a pinned message in all caps: “PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, I AM NOT THE ICC LAWYER NICHOLAS KAUFMAN WHO IS REPRESENTING PRESIDENT DUTERTE! PLEASE STOP MESSAGING ME!” But instead of deterring followers, the post only attracted more attention. By April 1, Kaufmann wrote, “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... It's insane!” The author, known for books like Dying is My Business, has turned to humor to cope. “Maybe when I think I'm asleep at night, I actually turn into an international defense lawyer!” he joked in a response to a friend. The bizarre situation has taken a toll on Kaufmann’s writing. “This whole situation has been overwhelming, distracting, and stressful. I can’t get any work done. I just want it to stop,” he said. He added that while many Filipinos have visited his page to apologize, the volume of engagement has only worsened the problem. “I appreciate the apologies, I really do, but when you have a thousand people commenting their apologies, it becomes part of the problem.” Meanwhile, the real lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has urged Duterte supporters to “respect the judicial process” and not interfere. In an interview on Friday (April 4) with NewsWatch Plus, Kaufman said Duterte, a former prosecutor himself, is “modest and calm” amid trial preparations. “It is this former work which enables me now, as defence counsel, to predict the strategy to be adopted by the prosecution,” Kaufman said. “As a client, he displays a modesty and calmness which is very distinct from some of the personality traits that I have encountered... in the course of my domestic criminal workload.” CAM/ICA/Expat Media