The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte is getting ready to face another impeachment complaint against her by February next year.

Lawyer Michael Poa, one of the 16-member defense team for the Vice President, mentioned the “big possibility” that another impeachment complaint will be filed against Duterte by February next year if the Supreme Court (SC) does not reverse its ruling to nullify the impeachment case this year.

“As we all know, the Supreme Court decision really talks about the one-year bar, which means that by February 6, 2026, if in case the Supreme Court does not reverse its ruling, again, there is a big possibility, maybe even a high probability that a second round of impeachment complaints will be filed,” he said in an interview with ANC on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

“So, that's why tayo sa defense team, hindi pa tayo natatapos (we are not done yet). Our preparations are still ongoing because there's that high probability na magkakaroon ng (that there will be a) second impeachment,” he added.

Poa stated that they neither felt victorious nor vindicated when the SC scrapped the impeachment case against Duterte and the Senate archived it after.

“I've always said, I don't think vindication or victory is really the proper term right now. Because when we talk about vindication, then we're discussing the merits,” he said.

The lawyer explained that there are still pending cases against the Vice President before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Poa, a counsel also to these cases, shared that they have been responding to the summons regarding the cases—a grave threat case under the DOJ and a case involving the House Committee on Good Governance’s committee report before the Ombudsman about Duterte’s use of confidential funds.

The latter involved technical malversation, falsification and use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery and corruption, plunder, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

“We're talking about criminal liability as well as administrative liability and partly kasama dyan yung (included there are the) confidential funds. So that's probably a proper forum also to address the issue,” he stressed.

While he refused to further expound on the defense’s argument against the impeachment complaint, Poa explained that the meat of their SC petitions was that “the fourth complaint has been barred because of grave abuse of discretion on the part of the House.”

And while there are arguments against the SC—and a Motion for Reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives—the lawyer maintained that “we respect all opinions.”

“I want to make that clear. Whether it's aligned, their opinions are aligned with our position or not, we have to respect them. That's the beauty of democracy. And we even listen and try to hear out those opinions,” he added.