Vice President Sara Duterte will testify in her Senate impeachment trial if necessary, her legal team said, as pre-trial proceedings advance with new witnesses named.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team stated she will appear before the Senate impeachment court “if necessary.” Spokesman Michael Poa said the decision would follow legal advice and strategy.
Poa asserted that Duterte’s statements of assets before 2022 should not be used as evidence. He cited a Supreme Court ruling limiting impeachable offenses to acts committed while holding office.
The team plans to respond to a request to open a sealed “green box” of tax records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The pre-trial conference ended past 5 p.m. the previous day, with a pre-trial order expected soon.
House prosecutors listed Mary Grace Piattos as a witness to testify on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds. Poa said the defense is ready to cross-examine her and noted he himself is also on the prosecution’s witness list.
