VP’s lawyers shocked, respects prepared ruling on financial, tax records

Atty. Michael Poa (Screenshot from INQUIRER/Youtube) MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial lawyers on Tuesday said they were “shocked” that most parts of the ruling read by Senator-judge and presiding officer Francis Escudero regarding the issuance of subpoenas for the financial and tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte were already finished even before the trial began on July 6. Defense team spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa, however, said they continue to respect the decision and that they do not intend to “cast aspersions” on the Senate impeachment court. READ: LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte | July 21, 2026 Article continues after this advertisement “Actually, nagulat rin ako nung nabasa ko (actually, I was surprised too when I read it),” said Poa in a press conference before the impeachment trial on the eighth day, referring to reports on how most parts of the court’s ruling have already been prepared in advance. “But nonetheless, I don’t really want to read too much into it. I don’t want to cast aspersions dito sa nangyari kahapon (on what happened yesterday),” he added. According to Poa, there were many possibilities as to why the decision was already ready even before the trial commenced, including how senator-judges may have already studied their positions and only let the oral arguments proceed to see if it could change the resolution. “Of course, I’d be lying if I will be saying na hindi ako nagulat na may ganun palang nangyari (I was not surprised that something like that happened),” said Poa. “But nonetheless, I don’t think we should cast aspersions against the integrity of the court or anything like that. It is what it is. ‘Yun ‘yung naging resolusyon. ‘Yun ‘yung naging ruling (that was the resolution, that was the ruling),” he added. Article continues after this advertisement Meanwhile, Poa said the defense team has yet to decide whether or not it will raise the results of the ruling to the Supreme Court. Poa’s pronouncements were rooted in information shared by impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol who said that the “main chunk” of the decision read by Escudero on Monday’s ruling was already ready even before the first day of the trial. Article continues after this advertisement This is because the request for the subpoenas has already been stated by the prosecution panel in their pretrial briefs—and were merely renewed. “So, basically, the main chunk of the decision of the presiding officer has already been prepared even before July 6th,” said Tongol. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. “So, I think the presiding officer also, during the caucus, consulted his fellow senator judges about it and asked about their views regarding the matter and that is the request of the other senator judges to study it until the weekend and until today. So, handa na naman siya ever since,” he added. /gsg