MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte is prepared to face trial if a fresh impeachment complaint is filed against her in 2026, her lawyer Michael Poa said Wednesday, as the Supreme Court (SC) continues to deliberate on motions for reconsideration over its earlier decision voiding her impeachment.
“She was always consistent in telling us that she was ready to go through trial, to really face all the accusers and these allegations,” Poa told one media source.
He stressed that the SC ruling, which struck down her impeachment for being unconstitutional, did not address the merits of the case.
The SC’s decision bars another impeachment until February 2026 under the constitutional rule against multiple proceedings within a year.
However, Poa said the defense team is already preparing for what they view as a “highly probable” second round of complaints.
“There is a big possibility, maybe even a high probability, that a second impeachment complaint will be filed,” he said.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in February on charges of graft, corruption, and allegedly plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Her legal team argued that earlier complaints had already triggered the one-year ban, a position upheld by the SC.