Defense: VP Sara Duterte's trial attendance depends on proceedings

Vice President Sara Duterte’s physical attendance at her impeachment trial will depend on how the proceedings unfold, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said Monday, declining to confirm whether she would personally appear before the Senate impeachment court.

Interviewed on GMA's "Unang Balita" hours before the start of the trial, Poa said he declined to discuss whether Duterte would attend the proceedings in person.

"Hindi ko na muna siguro sagutin 'yan dahil ayaw natin na muna sa headline ang attendance ng Vice President. Hintayin na lang natin mamaya, ilang oras na lang, and then siguro dapat ang maging focus ay talagang iyong mga proceedings ng unang araw ng impeachment," he said.

(I'd rather not answer that [question] yet because we don't want the Vice President's attendance to become the headline. Let's just wait a few hours, and I think the focus should really be on the proceedings of the first day of the impeachment.)

Poa made the remarks after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he believed it would be better for Duterte to personally appear before the impeachment court, adding that if he were in her position, he would insist on attending.

The defense spokesperson said Duterte's camp respects the President's opinion but declined to disclose the legal advice being given to the Vice President, saying it is protected by attorney-client privilege.

"Unang-una sa lahat, iginagalang naman natin ang opinyon ng Pangulo. Although sa atin, focus lang tayo sa sarili nating defense. Kung ano man ang nagiging payo ng defense team sa ating VP… that's privileged information."

(First of all, we respect the President's opinion. As for us, we are focused on our own defense. Whatever advice the defense team is giving the Vice President... that's privileged information.)

Poa, however, stressed that Duterte is not required to physically attend the trial.

"Attendance ng ating VP, meaning physical attendance, that will depend on the course of the trial kung sa tingin namin kinakailangan. So sa tingin ko kailangan malaman ng taong bayan na talagang walang requirement pagdating sa attendance ng VP, meaning physical attendance," he said.

(The Vice President's attendance, meaning her physical attendance, will depend on the course of the trial if we think it's necessary. I think it's important for the public to know that there is no requirement for the Vice President to be physically present.)

He added that Duterte has been responding to the allegations against her through her legal team while continuing to perform her duties as Vice President.

"Ang sinasabi naman natin, siyempre ang VP kahit may impeachment laban sa kanya, tuloy-tuloy lang ang trabaho. Ever since naman, ganyan lang talaga ang disposition ng VP. Whatever ibato sa kanya, trabaho lang."

(What we've been saying is that even with an impeachment case against her, the Vice President continues to work. That has always been her disposition. Whatever is thrown at her, she simply continues working.)

Poa also said the defense is prepared whether the Senate impeachment court limits Monday's proceedings to preliminary matters or proceeds with the presentation of the prosecution's first witness.

"Tayo naman ready lang tayo kung ano man ang mangyari, whether preliminaries or magkaroon ng first witness mamayang hapon. Tayo naman sa defense we're always ready and we've been ready for this trial na medyo matagal ng panahon."

(We're ready for whatever happens, whether the court tackles only preliminary matters or hears the first witness this afternoon. The defense has always been ready, and we've been preparing for this trial for quite some time.)

Asked about the impeachment court's move to shorten the trial, Poa said the defense considers the proposal reasonable.

"Reasonable naman tayo. I don't think any of the parties, whether it be the prosecution or defense, gugustuhin na humahaba itong trial na ito."

(We find it reasonable. I don't think either the prosecution or the defense wants this trial to drag on.)

He said the defense would first evaluate the prosecution's evidence before deciding whether it would need to present witnesses or documentary evidence.

Poa also reiterated the defense's position on witness examination, saying only one lawyer should question each witness and that the public prosecutors—not the private prosecutors—should conduct the direct examination of the prosecution's witnesses.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Duterte said she recently visited the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer in Bogo City, Cebu, where she prayed for peace in the country, the safety of Filipinos, the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Bogo City's continued recovery from last year's earthquake.— MCG, GMA News