MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense counsel Michael Poa on Tuesday scorned Paolo Panelo — her other spokesperson — for earlier claiming that they “both agreed” that the Senate impeachment court’s decision on the voting threshold is a “sham.”
Poa denied that he shared Panelo’s criticisms against the Senate impeachment court’s ruling that only senator judges who are physically present during verdict day would be allowed to vote on whether or not Duterte would be convicted of the impeachment charges against her.
“Just to set the record straight, I didn't agree with him on anything as to lokohan or anything like that,” the defense lawyer told reporters in a press conference.
“I've always maintained respect with the court. Kung meron man kaming disagreement with the decision of the court, I think the best way to do it is not through media or not through kwentuhan, but through our petition,” he said.
Poa said he confronted Panelo about the issue, admitting that he was offended that the vice president’s spokesperson for non-impeachment matters dragged his name unnecessarily.
“Noong nalaman ko yun, I messaged him personally to basically ask him bakit may ganong nasabi… Hindi ko nalang siguro i-disclose yan kasi out of respect to him rin,” Poa said, noting that his colleague assured him that “it won’t happen again.”
“He’s the spokesperson of the Vice President, but I will not allow my name to be dragged into something na wala naman akong kinalaman,” he said.
“I never said anything about lokohan to him, and that's why I want to set the record straight.”
Poa has served both as counsel and spokesperson for Duterte’s defense lawyers since day one of the impeachment trial, and has shunned from criticizing both the Senate impeachment court and their counterparts in the prosecution in press conferences and interviews.
Earlier this month, Panelo was named as the Vice President’s new spokesperson for matters beyond the impeachment proceedings after the court imposed stricter rules against sub judice, which bars the respondent, senator judges and counsels from both sides from discussing merits of the case outside the trial.
“Sa atin may remedies naman para sa kliyente natin. I don't have to resort to talking to people about it so if we have any objections or anything that we don't see eye to eye or don't agree with in terms of the decision of the court, the remedy is to file the necessary petition before the Supreme Court which is something that the defense is already discussing,” Poa said.
“I don't appreciate my name being dragged into something that I have nothing to do with to begin with,” he said.
Poa said he sees “no need to patch things up” with Panelo, noting that his colleague remains to be the Vice President’s mouthpiece. “He's free to say whatever he wants but I hope that doesn't destroy our relationship because okay naman dapat,” the defense counsel said.
“I speak for the defense team and ang focus namin is not on anything else but the legalities concerning the impeachment… Ako, alam ko yung boundaries ko,” he said.
“I don't meddle in politics. I don't meddle in anything else.”
ABS-CBN News has reached out to Panelo to get his side of the story, but he has yet to respond.
Poa said he has “accepted” Panelo’s explanation for the blunder.
But when prodded if he was “satisfied” with the reasoning, he said: “Well, I'll just accept his explanation.”