VP Sara Duterte's defense team anticipates subpoena for financial, tax records

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on Monday said it “anticipated” the Senate impeachment court’s decision to issue subpoenas for their client’s financial and tax records, even saying that they do not count it as a major setback. Defense spokesperson Michael Poa made the pronouncement following the seventh day of the impeachment trial, where the court decided to grant the prosecution panel’s request to issue subpoenas for Duterte’s financial and tax records. “Whatever happens, the possibility of this happening is something we also anticipated,” said Poa in a press conference. “So, we can’t say that this is a huge setback,” he added. However, Poa admitted that it would have done the defense team a favor if their opposition had been granted. “For us, of course, we cannot deny that we had strong grounds to oppose,” said Poa. Asked if the defense will avail itself of legal remedies, particularly raising the issue with the Supreme Court, Poa responded that it would depend on the team’s discussions as a whole. “We have not made that decision yet … this is something that we have to discuss as a team and also, of course, in consultation with our client [or] the respondent, the Vice President,” the lawyer explained. “It doesn’t mean that we will be doing it. It doesn’t mean that we will not be doing it. But this is something we’ll have to discuss amongst ourselves,” he added. It should be noted that Senator-Judge and presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier clarified that the issuance of the subpoena for the tax records of the vice president does not guarantee that it will be complied with, disclosed, or inspected in the impeachment proceedings. /cb