Camp of VP Sara Duterte camp anticipated Senate subpoenas for financial, tax records

Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team on Monday said it had expected the Senate impeachment court to issue subpoenas for the vice president's financial and tax records, maintaining that the move does not significantly affect its case.

Defense spokesperson Michael Poa made the statement after the seventh day of the impeachment trial, during which the Senate impeachment court granted the prosecution panel's request to subpoena 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.

Poa, however, said the defense believed it had strong legal grounds in opposing the prosecution's request and acknowledged that a favorable ruling would have benefited their side.

On whether the defense would elevate the matter to the Supreme Court, Poa said no decision has been made and that the legal team would first discuss its options with Duterte.

“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.

Presiding officer and Senator-Judge Francis "Chiz" Escudero earlier clarified that while the impeachment court authorized the issuance of subpoenas for Duterte's tax records, it does not automatically mean the records will be produced, disclosed, or admitted for inspection during the impeachment proceedings.

-Paraluman News