Jamaine Punzalan

Atty. Michael Poa speaks to the media to provide an update on what transpired during the pre-trial conference for the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines on June 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP SARA IMPEACHMENT- PRE TRIAL

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/178219284916520260618-vp-sara-impeachment-pre-trial-poa-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Atty. Michael Poa speaks to the media to provide an update on what transpired during the pre-trial conference for the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines on June 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The defense panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte pushed back Tuesday against the prosecution&#x27;s claim that they were mirroring or adopting their witnesses.</p><p>“Sa aming pananaw, hindi naman po tama yung terminology na mirroring or adopting because…halos sabay po kaming nag-submit ng pre-trial brief. Nasa bawat panig naman po yun kung sinong witnesses at anong mga dokumento ang ipipresenta,” defense panel spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said. </p><p>“Ngayon pagdating doon, if they file such a request, motion, manifestation, the defense is ready to respond accordingly,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/19/sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-to-start-july-6-house-prosecutor-says-1701">Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial to start July 6, House lead prosecutor says</a></div><p>Poa noted that listing witnesses during the pre trial conference is meant to ensure orderliness. </p><p>“Ginagawa &#x27;to hindi lang naman po dito sa impeachment court, court, pati na rin po sa regular courts. Eh, ginagawa po talaga. Kaya sanay naman po yung mga abogado natin sa mga ganitong bagay,” he said. </p><p>Poa maintained that they reserve the right to have their own legal strategies. </p><p>“Whatever legal strategy it is, I&#x27;m sure you can understand that we will not disclose our legal strategy. But again, it is the prerogative of either the defense or the prosecution to choose the witnesses and the pieces of documents… that they will be presenting. I don&#x27;t see the issue in that,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/house-prosecution-wants-duterte-camp-to-specify-purpose-of-witnesses-1747">House prosecution wants Duterte camp to &#x27;specify&#x27; purpose of witnesses</a></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0RnZKFb4EQkrZACNziNqdY6mfrFL8ULJjZS8nwscmvZMkXA6Pfd5SiaopNUtL32rBl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said there was no conflict between both sides on the witnesses.</p><p>&quot;Wala namang ganun kasi about the list of witnesses, submission lang naman yung nangyari. So we submitted our list, they submitted their list as well. Although as previously po na-pronounced also, maraming ding witnesses ang prosecution na listed also in the list of witnesses of the defense,&quot; she said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/benjamin-tolosa-jr-named-house-prosecution-legal-spokesperson-1453">Benjamin Tolosa Jr. named House prosecution &#x27;legal spokesperson&#x27;</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/luistro-on-claims-she-was-eaten-alive-in-the-june-18-pre-trial-fake-news-1425">Luistro on claims she was &#x27;eaten alive&#x27; in the June 18 pre-trial: &#x27;Fake news&#x27;</a></div><p>Both sides continued with the marking of evidence on the third  day of the pre-trial conference at the Senate on Tuesday. </p><p>“We are hoping to finish at the soonest possible time. Kaya lang the reality is voluminous ang documents most especially in confidential funds,” Luistro said. </p><p>“Baka umabot hanggang bukas or even Thursday, which is the original schedule naman po of the pre-trial conference,” Poa added. </p><p>Luistro noted that the defense rejected the prosecution &#x27;s request for common markings to expedite the process.</p><p>“What&#x27;s gonna happen is separate marking yung sa prosecution, separate marking yung sa defense even if they pertain to the same document,” she said. </p><p>Poa said they were “just being very careful…with the way we do things.”</p><p>“We want our own documents to be marked kahit na similar yung documents. Ito rin po kasi yung mga dokumento na gagamitin natin during the course of the trial,” he said. </p><div><strong>— Report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/senate-still-under-heightened-security-1818">Senate still under heightened security</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/vp-duterte-issues-accomplishment-report-amid-systematic-attacks-1317">VP Duterte issues accomplishment report amid &#x27;systematic attacks&#x27;</a></div>

<p>The defense panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte pushed back Tuesday against the prosecution's claim that they were mirroring or adopting their witnesses.</p>

The defense panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte pushed back Tuesday against the prosecution's claim that they were mirroring or adopting their witnesses.

Sara Duterte camp denies ‘mirroring’ prosecution witnesses for impeachment trial

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Sara Duterte camp denies ‘mirroring’ prosecution witnesses for impeachment trial

ABS-CBN News

Published June 23, 2026 01:37 PM PHT

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Updated June 23, 2026 02:08 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

Duterte impeachment

impeachment

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Supreme Court

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Senate impeachment trial

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