Camille Naredo

Atty. Sheila Sison and Atty. Michael Poa, members of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, held a press conference in Makati on March 25, 2026, confirming that they submitted a letter to the House Committee on Justice declining participation in the ongoing proceedings. They argued that only the Senate has the constitutional authority to conduct impeachment trials.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Atty. Sheila Sison and Atty. Michael Poa, members of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, held a press conference in Makati on March 25, 2026, confirming that they submitted a letter to the House Committee on Justice declining participation in the ongoing proceedings.

Article (news)

VP DUTERTE

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774447490158viber_image_2026-03-25_18-10-00-451.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Atty. Sheila Sison and Atty. Michael Poa, members of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, held a press conference in Makati on March 25, 2026, confirming that they submitted a letter to the House Committee on Justice declining participation in the ongoing proceedings. They argued that only the Senate has the constitutional authority to conduct impeachment trials.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Atty. Sheila Sison and Atty. Michael Poa, members of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, held a press conference in Makati on March 25, 2026, confirming that they submitted a letter to the House Committee on Justice declining participation in the ongoing proceedings. They argued that only the Senate has the constitutional authority to conduct impeachment trials.  <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The House Committee on Justice ordered the issuance of a subpoena for the self-confessed bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, Ramil Madriaga, and Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, among others, as it began its hearing proper on impeachment complainants against Duterte on Wednesday.</p><p>The panel expects to hear Madriaga’s testimony at the next hearing on April 14, according to committee chairperson Gerville Luistro.</p><p>“We also acted in favor of the request for protective custody of witness Ramil Madriaga. We are also issuing subpoena ad testificandum to certain witnesses named by Congresswoman De Lima, ‘no? Among those witnesses, of course, is Ramil Madriaga. So we expect to hear his testimony on our next hearing that will be on April 14,” Luistro said in a press conference after the meeting.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/house-panel-oks-additional-security-for-ramil-madriaga-1422">READ: House panel OKs additional security for Ramil Madriaga</a></div><p>The House panel is set to coordinate with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the court that ordered Madriaga’s detention on his appearance before the committee.</p><p>The proposal for protective custody was among a number of motions Cagayan de Oro 2nd Rufus Rodriguez objected to, saying Madriaga was a “polluted source.” </p><p>“Ramil Madriaga is a polluted source. He is facing kidnapping with murder charges,” Rodriguez said.</p><p>ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima, meanwhile, called it “premature” for an issue of credibility to be raised regarding Madriaga.</p><p>“I submit that it&#x27;s clearly premature for anyone to raise an issue of credibility on the part of the intended witness. He&#x27;s not yet testifying. He will testify. And therefore, issues of credibility can be raised in the questioning, in the clarificatory questioning,” De Lima said.</p><p>Eventually, a motion to strike Rodriguez’s remarks on Madriaga off the record was granted.</p><p>The justice committee also approved motions for the issuance of subpoenas to Atty. Gloria Camora of the Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, as well as representatives of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the archives division of the House of Representatives.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/house-panel-to-subpoena-sara-duterte-saln-nbi-findings-on-threat-vs-marcos-1241">READ: House panel to subpoena Sara Duterte SALN, NBI findings on threat vs Marcos</a></div><p>Rodriguez objected to a motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum for Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) over some years, accusing the committee of conducting a “fishing expedition.” “</p><p>The second one, it is a fishing expedition. It is not– there are no ultimate facts on the SALN of the vice president. So I will vote no. I will object to the second one,” Rodriguez said.</p><p>But this was among motions the committee also approved.</p><p>Subpoenas are also to be issued for the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) records on its probe into Duterte’s threats against the president, First Lady, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez, income tax returns (ITR) of the vice president, her husband, and businesses linked to them, as well as certifications from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on recipients of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘MARY GRACE PIATTOS’</strong></div><p>Akbayan party-list Representatives Perci Cendaña and Chel Diokno, as well as ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima, were seen holding potato chips and a paper bag from a coffee shop prior to the hearing in relation to the vice president’s confidential funds.</p><p>It can be recalled the name “Mary Grace Piattos” became a topic of controversy after being listed as a beneficiary of confidential funds. </p><p>“May baon tayo kasi matagal na nagtatanong ang taong bayan. Sino ba talaga si Mary Grace Piattos? At ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan, taon na nga ang binilang, hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin sinasagot ng vice president, at umiiwas pa rin siya sa katotohanan na hinahanap ng taong bayan. So her refusal today to attend is actually a refusal to let the public know of the truth. May utang na katotohanan ang vice president sa ating mga kababayan. At ito ang simbolo,” Cendaña explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DUTERTE A NO-SHOW</strong></div><p>Noticeably absent from the hearing, despite the placement of a nameplate for her at the venue, was Duterte, herself.</p><p>Luistro made mention of her absence in connection to the constitution. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/24/sara-duterte-to-skip-house-justice-panel-hearing-on-impeachment-complaints-2339">READ: Sara Duterte to skip House justice panel hearing on impeachment complaints</a></div><p>&quot;It appears she will not even participate. We recall the words of Justice Antonio Tijam in the previous impeachment against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Failure to participate in the hearings before the Committee on Justice is tantamount to a culpable violation of the Constitution. Ayon sa pananaw na iyon, ang hindi pagharap sa proseso ay maaaring ituring na patuloy na paglabag sa saligang batas. Ang tanong ngayon, maaari rin ba natin sabihin ito sa bise presidente? Let us remember the vice president took the same oath. ‘I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties, preserve and defend the Constitution,’&quot; Luistro said.</p><p>In a statement, Gabriela party-list Representative Sarah Elago expressed her dismay over Duterte refusing to attend the hearing.</p><p>“Kung tutuusin, talagang nakakadismaya ito hindi lamang sa Kumite kundi pati na rin sa buong sambayanan. Kapag panahon na ng paniningil, biglang ang daming dahilan, ang daming palusot, at sasabihing hindi raw ito ang tunay na isyu,” Elago said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Robert Nazal questioned the conduct of a hearing, asking if this is wise usage of the House’s time and resources.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/sara-duterte-accuses-house-of-prioritizing-politics-as-impeachment-hearing-proper-starts-1111">READ: Sara Duterte skips impeachment hearing proper, accuses House of prioritizing politics over public woes</a></div><p>“Given that this Committee has already made findings of sufficiency in form, in substance, and in grounds, should not this Committee now transmit the matter to the plenary for endorsement to the Senate, so that the Senate may perform its constitutional duty as the sole trier of impeachment cases?” Nazal asked in a statement.</p><p>“At higit sa lahat, sa gitna ng mga tunay na problema ng bansa, mataas na presyo ng gasolina, mataas na presyo ng mga bilihin, kakulangan sa serbisyo, at mga seryosong alegasyon ng anomalya gaya ng flood control scandal, dapat tanungin natin ang ating mga sarili. Are we using the time and resources of the House wisely?” Nazal added. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OPPOSED TO TERM ‘MINI TRIAL’</strong></div><p>Duterte’s lawyers submitted a letter saying the committee has no jurisdiction to conduct the hearing, which they called a “mini trial,” according to Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon. </p><p>“I will read the main basis for their objection to attending today. ‘Under these circumstances and considering the public statements made by the chairperson, it appears that the committee intends to conduct a trial’…This particular position of the counsels and of the vice president herself is basically a legal word salad. Ibigsabihin po wala po itong batayan sa katotohanan. Ito po ay legal na pagpapalusot para lusutan na namang mong muli ang pagpapanagot sa impeachable offenses laban sa atin pong pangalawang pangulo,” Ridon said.</p><p>But some lawmakers are in agreement that there is a need to stop calling what the justice committee is doing a “mini trial.” </p><p>“I&#x27;d like to contest and express my grievance on the use of the word mini trial. What is happening on the floor, Madam Chair, is determination of probable cause. It is a different proceeding that if you also provide equivalents in how we do this in the judicial proceedings, clear naman po ang distinction ng ginagawa ng office of the prosecutor. And kapag nahanap na po ‘yung probable cause na ‘yun, magpo-proceed na po sa trial sa korte,” Kabataan party-list Representative Renee Co said.</p><p>Despite this, Luistro said she has “no regrets” in having used the term, adding she only meant to make the hearing proper more understandable for the public and differentiate it from the trial that may commence at the Senate.</p><p>The committee also decided against taking action on the letter after Rodriguez suggested creating an order to call the document’s content “erroneous.”</p><p>But some lawmakers, including De Lima, argued they should not “dignify” the letter because it is allegedly “wrong” and “erroneous.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROTEST ON DAY OF HEARING PROPER</strong></div><p>But just as the House justice committee started its hearing proper, a protest took place at the South Gate of the House of Representatives to call for Duterte’s impeachment.</p><p>The protest action was led by BAYAN to hold Duterte accountable due to allegations of corruption and abuse of confidential funds.</p>

<p>The House Committee on Justice ordered the issuance of a subpoena for the self-confessed bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, Ramil Madriaga, and Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, among others, as it began its hearing proper on impeachment complainants against Duterte on Wednesday.</p>

The House Committee on Justice ordered the issuance of a subpoena for the self-confessed bagman of Vice President Sara Duterte, Ramil Madriaga, and Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, among others, as it began its hearing proper on impeachment complainants against Duterte on Wednesday.

House justice panel orders subpoena for Ramil Madriaga, Michael Poa

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House justice panel orders subpoena for Ramil Madriaga, Michael Poa

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 25, 2026 10:15 PM PHT

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impeachment

Sara Duterte

Ramil Madriaga

Michael Poa

vice president

House of Representatives

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