Vice President Sara Duterte will be defended by 16 lawyers in her upcoming impeachment trial, according to a document shared by the Senate impeachment court.
A copy of the Appearance – Ad Cautelam, which formally entered Duterte’s lawyers from the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar law firm, was shared by Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol on Monday, June 16.
The document, received by the Secretary of the Senate acting as the impeachment clerk of court, states:
“The undersigned Firm and the lawyers whose signatures appear below, respectfully enter their appearance as counsel for Vice President Sara Z. Duterte without prejudice to any jurisdictional and/or other objections that she may have in this case.”
Duterte’s 16 defense attorneys include Philip Sigfried Fortun, Gregorio Narvasa, Sheila Sison, Carlo Joaquin Narvasa, Roberto Batungbacal, Justin Nicol Gular, Lindon Miguel Bacquel, David Ronell Golla VII, Maria Selena Golda Fortun, Claraine Radoc, Francesca Marie Flores, Miguel Carlos Fernandez, Michael Wesley Poa, Reynold Munsayac, Mark Vinluan, Ralph Bodota.
Poa and Munsayac previously served under Duterte as spokespersons for the Department of Education (DepEd) and Office of the Vice President (OVP), respectively, before resigning amid the congressional inquiries into her use of confidential funds — the basis for her impeachment at the House of Representatives on Feb. 5.
This latest development came after the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, sent the writ of summons on June 11.
The summons gave Duterte 10 days from its receipt to reply to the articles of impeachment transmitted by the lower chamber to the Senate in February.
During a press conference in Davao City on Monday, Duterte said she relies on her lawyers’ advice regarding her personal appearance before the Senate impeachment court.
The impeachment trial is expected to commence in July under the 20th Congress after the senator-judges voted 18-5 in favor of remanding the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives, which then certified that the impeachment complaint strictly complied with all constitutional requirements. (Raymund Antonio)
