By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Michael Poa, a former key aide of Vice President Sara Duterte, admitted Wednesday that he could face liability if she is found responsible for the alleged misuse of millions of pesos in confidential funds.
Poa made the admission while testifying as a hostile prosecution witness on the 21st day of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Asked by Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros whether OVP and Department of Education (DepEd) personnel could be held accountable if Duterte were found liable, Poa said: “It’s possible. Just being objective, Your Honor.”
Hontiveros then asked if he himself could be held liable.
“It’s possible. I hope not, but possible,” Poa replied.
Poa, now one of Duterte’s defense lawyers, previously served as her chief of staff and as DepEd undersecretary for finance and spokesperson.
He maintained, however, that he had no operational role in handling the confidential funds and did not personally know how they were spent.
Poa said he became involved only after receiving a Commission on Audit (COA) observation memorandum questioning P112.5 million in DepEd confidential expenditures.
He then sought supporting documents from then DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Nolasco Mempin, including accomplishment reports for activities allegedly financed through confidential fund rewards.
Mempin eventually obtained certifications from Armed Forces of the Philippines officers Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtanggol Panopio.
Both officers testified Tuesday that they did not know their certifications would be used to support the liquidation of confidential expenditures. They said the documents merely covered attendance at eight Youth Leadership Summits and 53 Information Education Campaign activities and that neither DepEd nor the OVP provided confidential funds for those programs.
“Unfortunately, all that really came to me was this certification. So, that’s all I attached to our response to COA,” Poa said.
Poa also softened his earlier House testimony that confidential funds were used to obtain information from informants that led to successful operations.
He described that explanation as merely his “impression” and “theory.”
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pressed him on how the alleged payments could be directly linked to successful operations.
Poa acknowledged that information purchased from informants did not necessarily produce immediate results.
“Not all information purchased will necessarily result [in] immediate success,” he said.
Senator-judge Joel Villanueva also questioned the use of AFP certifications to support P15.54 million in confidential expenditures.
Poa said he relied on the certifications together with their reference to a “synergistic exchange of intelligence and information.”
Poa further testified that he did not recall seeing suspicious names in acknowledgment receipts while at DepEd.
He said he encountered the names only during the 2024 House hearings, including “Mary Grace Piattos.”
Poa recalled that former DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda initially gave him a sealed envelope containing documents needed for the agency’s COA response.
After Poa asked to see a sample, Fajarda opened the envelope and showed him an acknowledgment receipt.
Poa said he also first learned during the 2024 congressional hearings that confidential funds had allegedly been turned over to Col. Dennis Nolasco, then deputy chief of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
Fajarda had testified that he transferred the funds to Nolasco.
Poa said this was the first time he learned of Nolasco’s alleged involvement and agreed that he was unaware of it when he prepared DepEd’s response to the COA.
The testimony came as the House prosecution panel considers dropping the bribery article in Duterte’s impeachment case and proceeding with the unexplained wealth article.
Public prosecutor Joel Chua said the panel was weighing the move after completing its presentation on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.
“We are considering dropping one article,” Chua said, stressing that no final decision had been made.
The prosecution expects to finish presenting its case by the first week or middle of October, with the defense expected to complete its presentation by November. The impeachment court could potentially issue a decision by December.
ia/xf
