MANILA — Lawyers representing Vice President Sara Duterte have formally entered their appearance in connection with impeachment proceedings against her, as political tensions continue to escalate between the country’s top leaders.
The legal team, led by prominent litigator Philip Sigfrid A. Fortun of the law firm Fortun Narvasa & Salazar, submitted a precautionary entry of appearance before the Senate, which serves as the impeachment court under the Philippine Constitution.
The filing, described as an appearance ad cautelam, allows Duterte’s lawyers to participate in proceedings while preserving the right to challenge the court’s jurisdiction or raise other legal objections.
All 16 lawyers are from the law firm Fortun Narvasa & Salazar.
Fortun, a University of the Philippines College of Law graduate, has been in continuous litigation practice for more than 35 years. He has previously represented Philippine presidents or their families in lawsuits and served as counsel in the first impeachment proceedings of a sitting president.
Gregorio Y. Narvasa II and Carlo Joaquin T. Narvasa are also named as counsels.
Other members of the defense team include Sheila C. Sison, a 2014 bar admittee and class valedictorian at San Sebastian Recoletos Law School; Roberto A. Tungpalan-Bacalc; Justin Nicol B. Gular, a senior associate and three-time champion of a legal debate competition; Lindon Miguel L. Miguel; David Ronell M. Golla VII; Maria Selene Golda R. Fortun; Claribae F. Radoc; Francesca Marie Y. Flores, a 2024 bar admittee and Ateneo de Manila University graduate; Miguel Carlos A. Fernandez; Reynold S. Munsayac; Mark C. Vinluan; and Ralph B. Bodota.
Michael Wesley T. Poa, another member of the team, has been designated as the defense team’s spokesperson, a role Vice President Duterte confirmed at a recent press conference.
Duterte is facing impeachment complaints that include allegations of corruption, misuse of public funds, and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, accusations the vice president has repeatedly denied.
The complaints stem partly from the alleged misuse of confidential funds during Duterte’s tenure as head of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Political friction between Duterte and Marcos — who ran together in the 2022 elections but have since become rivals — has intensified amid the impeachment controversy.
The impeachment process has been complicated by procedural disputes between Congress and the judiciary. In 2025, the Senate — sitting as an impeachment court — voted to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives rather than proceed immediately with trial, saying clarification was needed on constitutional issues.
Legal experts and lawmakers disagreed over the move, with some arguing it raised constitutional questions about whether the Senate could delay or remand the case after receiving the articles.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also ruled on procedural issues related to earlier impeachment complaints, including the constitutional one-year ban on multiple complaints against the same official.
As of early 2026, the House of Representatives has continued to examine the complaints against Duterte, with lawmakers determining whether the charges have sufficient grounds to proceed toward a full Senate impeachment trial.
Duterte’s camp has said it will address the allegations through the legal process and expressed confidence that the accusations will be disproved.
Under the Philippine Constitution, the House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases, while the Senate conducts the trial once articles of impeachment are formally transmitted.
