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VP Sara’s lawyers enter appearance on impeachment proceedings
The Fortun Narvasa & Salazar law office, as well as other lawyers have entered their appearance as counsel for Vice President Sara Duterte in the impeachment proceedings in the House Committee on Justice.
The Appearance Ad Cautelam was received by the committee on March 9, 2026.
The said document stated that they are entering their appearance “without waiving any jurisdictional and other objections to these proceedings and her right to avail of the appropriate remedies therefor.”
House Committee on Justice member and Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon raised a possible conflict of interest, as lawyers Michael Poa and Reynold Munsayac could be potential witnesses.
“The presence of potential witnesses in the Vice President’s legal team raises serious ethical and procedural questions,” Ridon said in a statement.
“As DepEd spokesperson at the time, Mr. Poa was the official who repeatedly explained and defended the use of confidential funds before the public and the media. That position places him close to the policy decisions and internal processes governing the use of those funds. It also means he may possess material information relevant to the impeachment complaints,” he added.
As for Munsayac, who served as spokesperson of the Vice President and Assistant Secretary for Procurement, Ridon said, “If there were questions regarding the preparation of documents, compliance with auditing rules, or the legal justification for certain transactions, individuals involved in those processes could be asked to testify.”
“A lawyer cannot simultaneously act as an advocate and a witness in the same case without raising serious ethical concerns,” he added.
'With caution'
Ridon says the submission of the document does not mean that Vice President Sara Duterte will submit an answer to the impeachment complaints against her.
"Wala naman hong ganoong implication na tutugon o hindi. Kaya nga I think may nakabanggit po doon na 'ad cautelam.' Ibig sabihin, with caution. Ibig sabihin, nagpapakilala lang po ang mga abogado na kakatawan kay Vice President Sara Duterte in impeachment proceedings. Pero I think they are reserving their right to actually, firstly, to provide an answer, and secondly, to continue cooperating with the Justice Committee in this impeachment proceedings," Ridon said in an online interview today.
(There is no implication that she will answer the impeachment complaints [as a result of the lawyers' filing]. That's why it's 'ad cautelam,' meaning with caution. This means the lawyers are merely introducing themselves as the Vice President's counsel in impeachment proceedings.)
When asked if Poa and Munsayac can refuse to appear as witnesses if they are called to testify against Duterte, Ridon replied, "If they refuse to attend as resource persons, they will have to be subpoenaed to attend the proceedings. So, siyempre [of course], they will still have to respond to the queries of the members of the Justice Committee."
In case Poa and Munsayac appear as witnesses, Ridon said, they can only invoke lawyer-client privilege on matters relating to legal issues.
"Puwedeng i-invoke yung lawyer-client privilege kapag related lang doon sa mga bagay na nagbibigay ho silang advice to the vice president or legal issues [They may invole lawyer-client privilege on matters related to the advice they give the vice president, or legal issues]. Pero on factual questions related to their work at the OVP and to their work at the Department of Education, I don't think that privilege can in fact be invoked even if they present themselves as lawyers or the vice president," Ridon said.
GMA Integrated News reached out to Poa, Munsayac and the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law but they have yet to issue statements. — BM, GMA Integrated News
