The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte is moving with greater urgency to find a new spokesperson following the impeachment court's ruling to strictly enforce the sub judice rule, a development that has put defense spokesperson and lawyer Michael Poa in an increasingly difficult position.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, August 26, Poa—who is both a member of Duterte's legal team and its spokesperson—said the panel has yet to find a replacement but is increasingly aware of the risks posed by lawyers publicly discussing matters related to the impeachment proceedings.

“So sa atin, medyo risky na rin talaga kasi (For us, it has become risky), and there are times when your questions also would put us in a corner to answer certain things that might delve into the merits, and it's not your fault, of course, you're just doing your job,” Poa said.

Poa noted that with the court’s stricter enforcement of the sub judice rule, his dual role has “become difficult” because members of the legal team could be “made an example of” and face penalties. However, he stressed that the defense team respects the ruling and would comply with the impeachment court's orders.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, in his ruling, reiterated his earlier suggestion that both the prosecution and defense panels consider appointing spokespersons who are not covered by the rules governing lawyers involved in the impeachment proceedings.

Poa said the defense has yet to identify anyone for the position, but finding a spokesperson has taken on a new sense of urgency.

“Wala pa (We don't have one yet), but I think it's definitely important to have one,” he said, adding that he had already raised the matter with Duterte. “So siguro ngayon meron lang (Perhaps now, there is a) sense of urgency,” he added.

Poa said the defense is looking not simply for a replacement, but for someone capable of translating the complex and highly technical impeachment process into language ordinary Filipinos can understand.

“We want someone who can really explain the process well,” Poa said. “Someone who can laymanize the process para sa ating mga kababayan (for our fellow Filipinos), and someone who will be consistent with whatever the defense wants him or her to say sa media,” he added.

He said the team wants someone who can explain the process clearly, make it understandable to ordinary Filipinos, and consistently communicate the defense's position to the media.

Consistency, he added, would be particularly important to ensure that the public is not confused about where the defense stands on issues arising from the impeachment proceedings.

“Someone who can really communicate well. And when we say communicate well, it means someone who can laymanize this very technical process,” Poa added.

While having a legal background could help a spokesperson understand the proceedings, Poa said the defense was not limiting its search to lawyers.

“It’s always easier to understand legal processes if you are a lawyer. But we’re not trying to take away anything from non-lawyers,” he said, noting that non-lawyers can also explain complicated matters well and quickly grasp the issues involved.

Poa said balancing his duties as Duterte's lawyer and as the defense team's public spokesperson has not been easy, particularly when questions from reporters could potentially touch on the merits of the impeachment case.

“It hasn't been easy for me to also navigate ano ba yung merits at na hindi (what are the merits and which are not),” he said, referring to the challenge of determining which matters can and cannot be publicly discussed.

He added that there could be occasions when he might inadvertently give an answer on a matter that should not be discussed publicly, something he said could also reflect badly on the defense team.

Poa said Duterte had previously been presented with several options: he could continue as spokesperson and leave the legal team, remain on the legal team and give up the spokesperson role, or continue doing both.

According to Poa, Duterte's initial preference was for him to remain as her lawyer while the team searched for another spokesperson.

“Her immediate answer was that she wants me as her lawyer and the option would be to look for another spokes,” he said.

While stressing that the defense intends to comply with the impeachment court's ruling, Poa said the team would still need to determine the precise scope of the sub judice rule and discuss its implications with Duterte.

“It's not a total gag order where you cannot talk about anything,” Poa said.

He said the restrictions primarily concern the merits of the case, including matters contained in the pleadings, the relevance of the evidence presented, and the credibility of the witnesses.

“It's just really kung ano ba talaga yung saklaw lang ng (what covers) sub judice, which is really the merits of the case,” he said, explaining that the key issue is determining exactly what falls within the rule's coverage.

Poa said he would have to discuss the recent developments with the Vice President.

For now, he said, the defense will have to carefully navigate the restrictions while accelerating its search for a spokesperson who can clearly communicate its position, simplify the complex impeachment process for the public, and ensure consistency in the team's message—without exposing members of the legal panel to possible sanctions.