Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday criticized attempts to disqualify two lawyers from her impeachment defense team, saying respondents should be allowed to choose their own legal counsel.

The vice president was reacting to a call by lawyer Jesus Falcis to disqualify attorneys Michael Poa and Reynold Munsayac from Duterte’s legal team over a possible conflict of interest.

Falcis said Terry Ridon, representative of the Bicol Saro Party-list, raised the issue after reviewing documents submitted by Duterte’s lawyers to the House Committee on Justice.

According to Falcis, Poa and Munsayac, who entered their appearance as Duterte’s counsels, could also serve as witnesses in the investigation into the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines and the Department of Education.

Duterte questioned the move to disqualify her lawyers.

“Ngayon lang ako nakarinig na hindi pinapayagan ang respondent kung sino gusto niya na lawyers. So antayin na lang natin kung ano mangyayari (This is the first time I’ve heard that a respondent is not allowed to choose the lawyers they want. So let’s just wait and see what will happen),” she told reporters.

Meanwhile, Ridon said the impeachment against Durterte could be accelerated if she fails to submit her response to the complaints filed against her by Monday, 16 March.

He said the panel is awaiting the vice president’s answer after she was given 10 days to respond to two impeachment complaints earlier deemed sufficient in form and substance.

“In the event that she does not respond by Monday, the process will be shortened, abbreviated,” Ridon said during a media forum.

He added that if Duterte fails to file a reply by the deadline, the committee could move faster in determining whether the complaints have sufficient grounds.

Ridon clarified that Duterte and her camp have until the end of office hours on Monday to submit their response before the committee decides on the next step.

If Duterte files a reply, the complainants will be given three days to submit a response. The vice president would then have another three days to file a rejoinder.

With or without Duterte’s answer, the justice panel is tentatively scheduled to determine the sufficiency of grounds on April 8, according to Ridon.

The impeachment complaints stem from allegations of misuse of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines and the Department of Education, which Duterte headed from July 2022 to June 2024.

She is also accused of threatening to hire a hitman to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.

The complainants likewise alleged that Duterte bribed officials at the education department and favored certain distributors in procurement transactions.