MANILA, Philippines —Michael Poa, who beforehand labored as Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of employees, undersecretary for finance and spokesperson on the Division of Training (DepEd), admitted on Wednesday that he may face legal responsibility if Duterte is discovered responsible of misusing tens of millions of pesos in confidential funds, although he maintained that he had no private information of how the cash was spent.
Poa is at present serving on Duterte’s authorized protection crew, however is taking the stand as a hostile prosecution witness on Day 21 of her impeachment trial, additionally mentioned he realized in regards to the uncommon names showing in acknowledgment receipts for confidential fund funds solely throughout congressional hearings in 2024, although he had ready DepEd’s response to a Fee on Audit (COA) audit statement memorandum (AOM) questioning P112.5 million in confidential expenditures.
Requested by Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros whether or not Workplace of the Vice President (OVP) and DepEd personnel might be held accountable if Duterte have been discovered liable, Poa mentioned: “It’s doable. Simply being goal, Your Honor.”
READ: Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Who’s Michael Poa?
Hontiveros then requested if Poa himself may face legal responsibility.
“It’s doable. I hope not, however doable,” he replied.
No operational function
Poa maintained that he had no operational function in dealing with the confidential funds. He mentioned his involvement started solely after he acquired the COA’s AOM flagging DepEd’s confidential fund reward funds. Earlier than that, he mentioned, he had no private information of how the funds have been used.
After receiving the AOM, Poa mentioned he approached then Undersecretary for Administration Nolasco Mempin to acquire proof of the success of actions supposedly funded via the rewards, notably accomplishment stories.
Mempin, whom Poa mentioned additionally had no private information of the funds’ use, ultimately obtained certifications from Armed Forces of the Philippines officers, together with Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtanggol Panopio.
However Boransing and Panopio instructed the impeachment court docket on Tuesday that they didn’t know their certifications can be used to help the liquidation of DepEd’s confidential expenditures. The 2 Military officers mentioned their paperwork merely recorded members’ attendance in eight Military-sponsored Youth Management Summits and 53 Info Training Marketing campaign actions. In addition they testified that neither DepEd nor the OVP supplied the AFP with confidential funds for these applications.
“Sadly, all that actually got here to me was this certification. So, that’s all I connected to our response to COA,” he mentioned.
READ: Michael Poa: From Duterte aide to impeachment trial witness
‘Impression’ and ‘principle’
Poa additionally softened his earlier clarification to the Home that actions supported by the confidential funds have been focused primarily based on info provided by informants, describing that clarification as merely his “impression” and “principle.”
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian identified that Poa’s written response to the COA sounded extra definitive, making it seem that info from informants had instantly contributed to profitable operations.
“How do you now show that this success is from confidential info, from cost of rewards? How do you join this to a profitable cost of reward that led to a profitable operation?” Gatchalian requested.
READ: Michael Poa admits he by no means noticed DepEd’s vault for confidential paperwork
He additionally instructed personal prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. that purchasing info from informants didn’t essentially assure an instantly profitable operation.
“Not all info bought will essentially consequence [in] speedy success,” Poa mentioned when requested whether or not proof of success was required below Joint Round 2015-01, which governs using confidential and intelligence funds.
Senator-judge Joel Villanueva questioned Poa on the idea for utilizing AFP certifications to help DepEd’s P15.54 million in confidential fund expenditures.
‘Abogadong walang alam’
Poa mentioned he didn’t contemplate the certifications in isolation, pointing to language within the paperwork referring to a “synergistic alternate of intelligence and knowledge” that enabled authorities to determine areas the place actions can be carried out.
The prosecution’s supply of Poa’s testimony triggered a pointy alternate after Tolosa described him as “ang abogadong walang alam (lawyer who knew nothing),” referring to his being tasked by Duterte to reply the COA regardless of repeatedly saying he didn’t know the way the confidential funds have been used.
Protection lead counsel Sheila Sison vehemently objected, saying Poa had rights below the trial guidelines to be protected against irrelevant, improper and insulting questions and from harsh or insulting therapy. Tolosa apologized and mentioned he meant solely that Poa had repeatedly testified within the Home that he knew nothing in regards to the funds.
Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero ordered the phrase stricken from the document, saying it was discourteous and shouldn’t be utilized in referring to a fellow lawyer.
READ: VP Sara needs me to stay as her authorized counsel — Michael Poa
Names surfaced in Home
Poa’s testimony additionally underscored the bounds of his information of the paperwork used to liquidate the confidential funds.
Requested by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo whether or not he was conversant in names showing in acknowledgment receipts submitted to the COA as proof of cost to supposed confidential informants, Poa mentioned he didn’t keep in mind seeing something fictitious whereas at DepEd. He mentioned he noticed the bizarre names solely when the receipts have been proven throughout the Home inquiry in 2024, together with the controversial “Mary Grace Piattos.”
When he requested former DepEd particular disbursing officer Edward Fajarda for paperwork evidencing funds required for the COA audit, Poa mentioned Fajarda initially handed him a sealed envelope, saying the paperwork have been confidential. Poa requested to see at the very least one pattern as a result of he was accountable for submitting DepEd’s response to the COA. The envelope was opened and he was proven an acknowledgment receipt.
‘First time’ listening to of Nolasco
Poa ready DepEd’s response to COA’s AOM masking confidential expenditures for the primary three quarters of 2023. The COA had flagged the dearth of paperwork supporting using P112.5 million in confidential funds. Poa submitted DepEd’s response for the primary two quarters in February 2024 and for the third quarter in April.
Poa likewise testified that he first realized throughout the 2024 congressional hearings that the confidential funds had allegedly been transferred to a safety officer.
He had beforehand mentioned that solely Duterte and Fajarda have been aware about using the funds. However Fajarda testified throughout the Home inquiry that he had turned over the funds to Col. Dennis Nolasco, then deputy chief of the Vice Presidential Safety and Safety Group.
Tolosa requested whether or not Fajarda’s assertion was the primary time Poa realized of Nolasco’s involvement. Poa mentioned it was, including that it was additionally the primary time he realized that Nolasco was a safety officer and that Fajarda had transferred the funds to him.
Poa agreed that when he ready DepEd’s response to the COA, he didn’t learn about Nolasco’s function and couldn’t have spoken with him about funds supposedly made to informants.
In the meantime, the Home prosecution panel is weighing whether or not to desert the bribery article towards Duterte.
Public prosecutor Joel Chua mentioned in a press briefing that the panel was finding out whether or not to proceed on to the unexplained wealth article after finishing its presentation on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.
“We’re contemplating dropping one article,” Chua instructed reporters, stressing that no ultimate resolution had been made. The panel continues to be weighing an choice.
Chua mentioned dropping one article may shorten the proceedings, with the prosecution hoping to complete its presentation by the primary week or center of October, the protection by November and the impeachment court docket doubtlessly issuing a call by December. — With stories from Zacarian Sarao and Keith Clores /das
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