Atty. Michael Poa, VP Sara Duterte’s Lawyer, Clarifies Attendance to 2nd Hearing of Impeachment Complaints
SARA DUTERTE’S LAWYER – Atty. Michael Poa appeared before the House Justice Committee for the impeachment hearing.
The proceedings of the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte continued as previously confirmed by House Speaker Bojie Dy. The process pushed through despite a petition filed by Duterte’s camp before the Supreme Court.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte filed a petition seeking for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to stop the House of Representatives and the House Justice Committee from continuing with the impeachment proceedings. The Vice President questions the constitutionality of the process.
Previously, the Vice President skipped the first impeachment hearing set by the House Justice panel. According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer, Atty. Michael Poa, his client is not mandated to personally appear at the hearing.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer has repeatedly stressed their camp’s question on the proceedings of the House Justice panel. Duterte’s camp believes that the Senate is supposedly the “proper forum” to discuss the impeachment complaint.
Two (2) impeachment complaints were declared sufficient in form, substance, and grounds by the House of Representatives’ Justice panel. They are the third and the fourth impeachment raps filed against the Vice President in February.
Here are some of the grounds raised against the Vice President in the impeachment complaints filed against her:
- 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
Today is the second impeachment hearing scheduled by the House Committee on Justice. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer Atty. Michael Poa appeared before the panel.
Atty. Michael Poa issued a clarification over his attendance to the second impeachment hearing. Based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer clarified that his attendance is not “prejudice” to the defense of the Vice President.
“I was under compulsory process. That is without prejudice to the defenses of the Vice President,” Poa said.
Previously, amid the political issues, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was asked of her reaction to the rumored illness of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.