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/File

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VP SARA IMPEACHMENT- PRE TRIAL

Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178410020088220260618-vp-sara-impeachment-pre-trial-poa-MT7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>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/File </div>MANILA (UPDATE) — A defense lawyer for Vice President Sara Duterte in her <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">impeachment trial</a> on Wednesday said requests to access her financial records were being used as a &quot;weapon of a fishing expedition&quot; against the country&#x27;s second-highest official.Lawyer Michael Poa made the statement during the oral arguments on whether the impeachment court would grant the prosecution&#x27;s requests for a subpoena allowing access to the confidential bank, tax and anti-money laundering records of Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio.&quot;When a subpoena becomes oppressive, when it is unreasonable and when it is merely issued for the very purpose that there is a hope that somewhere, somehow, something incriminating will come out, it ceases to be an instrument of justice. It becomes a weapon of a fishing expedition and that is exactly what confronts this very court today,&quot; Poa said.&quot;That&#x27;s why the defense has taken the position that the prosecution&#x27;s request must be denied,&quot; he added.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/diokno-duterte-bank-tax-records-impeachment-trial-1516">READ: Diokno says Duterte&#x27;s bank, tax records to open &#x27;door of truth&#x27;</a></div>The request for subpoenas are being made in relation to accusations that Duterte had amassed unexplained wealth.Poa argued that although the impeachment court could issue subpoenas for financial records, it should still observe due process.&quot;When we speak of due process, we offer a simple proposition, that evidence must be present to support each and every accusation. Pero hindi po yun &#x27;yong nangyari dito,&quot; he said.&quot;In our legal system, it is not permitted to accuse now and then just look for proof later on. That is not how due process works. Hindi ho dapat natin pinapayag &#x27;yan,&quot; he said.Poa also described the prosecution&#x27;s requests as &quot;fatally overbroad.&quot;He argued that impeachable offenses can only be committed while an official holds an impeachable office. However, he noted that &quot;the prosecution is requesting for documents spanning almost two decades,&quot; including periods when Duterte held government posts that were not impeachable offices.Poa also cited the Anti-Money Laundering Act that prohibits disclosure of information, noting that impeachment was not an exception, as well as the Tax Code which has only &quot;limited&quot; exceptions but does not include impeachment.For the Bank Secrecy Law, exceptions to disclose bank records for an impeachment case &quot;is not automatic,&quot; Poa said.&quot;Meaning hindi porke&#x27;t may exception for impeachment puwede na kaagad natin buksan ang lahat ng bank records na hinihingi ng prosecution. Why? Because, Your Honor, this exception does not dispense with constitutional safeguards, it does not abolish the right to due process. Dapat mayroon pa rin tayong basehan,&quot; he said.In her impeachment trial, Duterte is also facing allegations of making threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bribing government officials, and misusing confidential funds – which she has denied.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-6-1345">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 6) </a> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/-binabawasan-talaga-kami-iniisa-isa-cayetano-says-2019-sea-games-probe-aims-to-intimidate-him-1433">‘Binabawasan talaga kami’: Cayetano says 2019 SEA Games probe aims to ‘intimidate’ him </a> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">Impeachment Trial of Sara Duterte</a></div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3StIaciCWP4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

A defense lawyer for Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial on Wednesday said requests to access her financial records were being used as a 'weapon of a fishing expedition' against the country's second-highest official.

A defense lawyer for Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial on Wednesday said requests to access her financial records were being used as a 'weapon of a fishing expedition' against the country's second-highest official.

Defense says subpoena for Duterte bank, tax records a 'weapon of fishing expedition'

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Defense says subpoena for Duterte bank, tax records a 'weapon of fishing expedition'

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 15, 2026 03:31 PM PHT

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Updated July 15, 2026 03:45 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Michael Poa

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