VP Sara Duterte's impeachment trial attendance depends on proceedings, says defense

Vice President Sara Duterte's physical attendance at her impeachment trial will depend on how the proceedings unfold, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said Monday. Speaking on GMA's "Unang Balita" hours before the trial's start, Poa declined to confirm whether Duterte would personally appear before the Senate impeachment court. "I'd rather not answer that [question] yet because we don't want the Vice President's attendance to become the headline. Let's just wait a few hours, and I think the focus should really be on the proceedings of the first day of the impeachment," he said. Poa's remarks came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated he believed it would be better for Duterte to personally appear before the impeachment court, adding that if he were in her position, he would insist on attending. The defense spokesperson acknowledged the President's opinion but declined to disclose the legal advice being given to the Vice President, citing attorney-client privilege. "First of all, we respect the President's opinion. As for us, we are focused on our own defense. Whatever advice the defense team is giving the Vice President... that's privileged information." Poa stressed that Duterte is not required to physically attend the trial. "The Vice President's attendance, meaning her physical attendance, will depend on the course of the trial if we think it's necessary. I think it's important for the public to know that there is no requirement for the Vice President to be physically present." He added that Duterte has been responding to the allegations against her through her legal team while continuing to perform her duties as Vice President. "What we've been saying is that even with an impeachment case against her, the Vice President continues to work. That has always been her disposition. Whatever is thrown at her, she simply continues working." Poa also said the defense is prepared whether the Senate impeachment court limits Monday's proceedings to preliminary matters or proceeds with the presentation of the prosecution's first witness. "We're ready for whatever happens, whether the court tackles only preliminary matters or hears the first witness this afternoon. The defense has always been ready, and we've been preparing for this trial for quite some time." Regarding the impeachment court's proposal to shorten the trial, Poa said the defense considers the idea reasonable, as neither prosecution nor defense would want the trial to drag on. Poa also reiterated the defense's stance on witness examination, stating that only one lawyer should question each witness and that public prosecutors, not private ones, should conduct the direct examination of the prosecution's witnesses. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Duterte mentioned visiting the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer in Bogo City, Cebu, where she prayed for peace in the country, the safety of Filipinos, the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Bogo City's continued recovery from last year's earthquake.