Spox of VP Sara Duterte’s Legal Team Speaks on Set March 25 ‘Mini-Trial’
SARA DUTERTE’S LEGAL TEAM – Lawyer Michael Poa spoke on the scheduled ‘mini-trial’ by the House Justice Committee on March 25 over the impeachment complaints against the Vice President.
Four impeachment complaints were filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte before the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives starting February 2026. Two of the said impeachment complaints were found sufficient in form and substance by the House Justice Committee.
The House Justice panel ‘set aside’ the first impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte for violating the one year rule ban. The complainants of the second impeachment rap, the Tindig Pilipinas, withdrew their complaint.
According to the group, their withdrawal of their complaint is allegedly for the reason of avoiding procedural delay as they have decided to support the third impeachment rap against the Vice President instead. The third impeachment complaint was filed by a lawyer who represented several members of the religious sector.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s legal team claimed that they expected the filing of the impeachment raps. The Vice President also previously claimed that she has talked with her lawyers in December 2025.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s legal team is composed of 16 lawyers whose names are as follows:
- Gregorio Narvasa II
- Carlo Joaquin Narvasa
- Justin Nicol Gular
- David Ronell Golla VII
- Lindon Miguel Bacquel
- Karol Grace Oroceo
- Clarlaine Radoc
- Francesca Marie Flores
- Miguel Carlos Fernandez
- Michael Wesley Poa
- Reynold Munsayac
- Mark Vinluan
- Ralph Bodota
- Roberto Batungbacal
In the third impeachment rap against the Vice President, the following grounds were raised by the complainants:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The House Justice Committee found the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as sufficient in grounds. The panel set a ‘mini-trial’ on March 25 inviting both the Vice President and her camp and the complainants.
Recently, Atty. Michael Poa, the spokesperson of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s legal team, was asked if the Vice President will attend the hearing on March 25. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the lawyer said the Vice President has yet to decide.
“If we cannot cross-examine or test the credibility of the witnesses that will be speaking against her, then I do not see any advantage in that,” Poa said based on the report.
The spokesperson of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s legal team also claimed that she has yet to speak with the Vice President but they will advise her to skip the hearing if “there’s nothing to gain” from appearing before the House Justice panel for the ‘mini-trial’.
Previously, the House Committee on Justice issued a warning to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte if she will skip the March 25 ‘mini-trial’ over the impeachment complaints filed against her.
