A senior lawmaker from the supermajority bloc in the House of Representatives expressed approval of whether former president Rodrigo Duterte will choose to join the legal team of her daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, in connection with the three impeachment complaints lodged against her. 

In an interview on Thursday, Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers said such discretion will be exclusively left to the VP. However, he maintained that talks on whether or not to overthrow the younger Duterte remained off the table.

"It is the right of anyone facing a trial, especially this impeachment trial, to choose his/her lawyer to defend him/her and that is guaranteed by not just the Constitution but the rules of our Congress. So, I don't see any problem with that. It is the choice of the VP,” said Barbers, chairman of the House quad committee, in Filipino. 

But he also added, “There is no discussion of impeachment. Even we, in Congress, have not talked about that yet.”

The VP had announced that the former president had offered a lawyer for her against the looming legal troubles she will face relating to three impeachment petitions against her. 

“He said he will be a collaborating counsel for all the cases. He will be one of the lawyers for all the cases. And he’s preparing his documents with the IBP (Integrated Bar of the Philippines) so that he can sign as a lawyer of good standing,” she said in an ambush interview in Davao City on Wednesday. 

The Makabayan bloc — among the endorses of the impeachment complaints — was quick to denounce this move, calling it a “desperate political maneuver to evade accountability for her misuse of confidential funds.”

"Instead of directly answering the questions about the misuse of confidential funds, she is hiding behind her father's back. This is clearly a desperate attempt to rally political support following her declining satisfaction ratings,” the progressive group said in a joint statement on Thursday. 

They argued that the VP should avoid using "diversionary tactics," as distancing herself from her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who may face charges for violations of International Humanitarian Law in relation to his controversial drug war, will not help her.

"This father-and-daughter legal team-up is nothing but political theater. What VP Sara should do is answer the allegations of malversation and not make political spectacles," the statement reads. 

The three impeachment petitions relied heavily on the findings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which has been rigorously investigating the alleged irregularities in the use by Duterte of P612.5 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P112.5 million) when she headed the latter.

The petitioners — comprised of various groups, including lawyers, priests, and former lawmakers — want to remove Duterte from office over alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust. 

The three impeachment complaints lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte have yet to make any progress as of Wednesday as they have yet to reach the Office of the Speaker even after three weeks since the first petition was filed. 

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco had confirmed to the DAILY TRIBUNE that the petitions have yet to make any progress as of this week, pending examination from the House’s legal department. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already appealed to his allies in the House to stop any attempt to remove Duterte from office. The influential Iglesia Ni Cristo also echoed Marcos’ call to lawmakers and has threatened that they will conduct a nationwide rally to oppose the impeachment.