THE House Committee on Justice will decide how to address the participation of two lawyers in the legal team of Vice President Sara Duterte amid concerns they could also be called as witnesses in the impeachment proceedings.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a lawyer and member of the House Committee on Justice, said over the weekend that they would deliberate on the issue.
Ridon was referring to lawyers Michael Poa and Reynold Munsayac, who both held key positions in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
“Well, the committee will deliberate on what to do with the concern relating to the two lawyers,” Ridon, Chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said during the Saturday Media Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
A total of 16 lawyers have entered their appearance as counsel for Duterte in the impeachment case pending before the justice panel.
Under House rules, lawyers representing parties in impeachment proceedings may attend hearings but are limited to observing the proceedings, while deliberations remain the exclusive prerogative of House members.
Ridon said the committee has no objections to most of the lawyers representing Duterte but expressed reservations about Poa and Munsayac because of their previous roles in government.
He noted that Munsayac had also been mentioned in testimony by former DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado in connection with alleged attempts to influence procurement processes in the department.
“Si Mr. Munsayac was mentioned by Usec. Gloria Mercado who I think tried to influence her in the course of procurement processes,” he said.
Because of this, Ridon said Munsayac may be called as a witness or resource person during the impeachment proceedings.
Ridon also noted that both Poa and Munsayac had previously served as spokespersons for Duterte.
The lawmaker said the committee’s concern is the possibility that the two lawyers might invoke lawyer-client privilege if asked about matters relating to their work while they were government officials.
“What we don’t want to see would be a situation in which these lawyers will basically just say that they are bound within lawyer-client privilege when the questions being asked to them relate to their actual work during their time in the OVP and the DepEd,” Ridon said.
The justice panel earlier found the two remaining impeachment complaints against Duterte sufficient in form and substance and is currently awaiting the Vice President’s formal answer before proceeding to the next stage of the proceedings.
