Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team announced it is fully prepared for the upcoming Senate impeachment trial, stating they will accept whoever is chosen to lead the court as long as the selection adheres to constitutional bounds.
Following a pre-trial conference, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa told reporters that naming the trial’s presiding officer is strictly an internal Senate decision.
“Titingnan namin kung meron bang paglabag sa Konstitusyon o sa kung ano mang batas. Kung wala naman po, we’re ready to face whoever presiding officer it is,” Poa said.
The remark follows a statement from Senate President Win Gatchalian, who noted that the chamber has not yet finalized its leadership setup for the trial.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed that the new Senate majority bloc has agreed to back Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero—who previously led the impeachment court during a prior bid to oust the vice president—to preside when the court opens on July 6.
While Gatchalian pointed out that Senate rules typically designate the sitting Senate President as the default presiding officer, a formal caucus will still be held to finalize assignments.
Poa maintained that the defense will hold its comment until an official announcement is made.
“It’s something that is internal to the Senate. So sa ngayon, kung sino man ang presiding officer, we will see first,” he added.