The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte said it is ready for the prosecution’s presentation of witnesses and evidence as her impeachment trial enters Day 2 on Tuesday, July 7.

Defense spokesperson Michael Poa said the camp had expected the prosecution to begin presenting its first witness during the opening day of the trial on July 6 and had already prepared its lawyers for cross-examination.

“In fact, ready kami today (we’re ready today),” Poa told reporters after the first day of proceedings. “Because all along, we thought that even today, it would already begin—in other words, the prosecution would present its first witness—so we were prepared for today,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino.

Poa said the defense was prepared for the prosecution’s presentation of evidence and the cross-examination of witnesses, even after the proceedings were moved to the following day.

“Talagang nakahanda kami (We were truly prepared for the) presentation of evidence of prosecution today. Na-move siya (it was moved) to tomorrow [July 7], but it makes no difference,” he added.

Poa said the first day of the impeachment trial largely focused on preliminary matters, with both the prosecution and defense raising procedural issues before the Senate impeachment court.

He described the opening day as smooth and said the defense expected the proceedings to move forward gradually as the trial progressed.

“Everything today, for the prosecution, is expected. Maybe perhaps, everything from our end was also expected by prosecution because it’s really preliminaries. Things will progress,” he said.

Asked which side had the stronger showing on the first day, Poa declined to characterize the proceedings as a contest between the prosecution and the defense.

He stressed that the defense did not want to engage in that kind of scorekeeping.

“Ayaw natin magbilangan ng ganyan (We don’t want to keep tallying things that way),” he said.

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Instead, Poa said the allegations against Duterte would have to be tested through the evidence presented before the impeachment court.

“Makikita na lang natin kung naglatagan na tayo ng ebidensiya kung totoo yung mga alegasyon laban sa Bise Presidente (We will only see once we have laid out the evidence whether the allegations against the Vice President are true),” he said.

The defense spokesperson also confirmed that Duterte is being regularly updated on developments in the impeachment proceedings.

“I talk to her, if not once, at least several times a day, on different matters, various matters, including impeachment,” Poa said.

However, he declined to disclose the specific legal advice being given to the Vice President, stressing that communications between lawyers and their clients are protected by privilege.

“Any given advice given by the lawyer to his or her client is privileged by nature, so that is something that we will never disclose in public,” he said.

As the VP Sara Duterte impeachment trial enters Day 2, attention is expected to shift from preliminary procedural matters to the prosecution’s presentation of witnesses and evidence before the Senate impeachment court.

The evidence presented during the proceedings will be central to determining whether the allegations against Duterte can be substantiated. 

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