By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Public prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr.’s aggressive questioning of former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial drew attention Wednesday as tensions emerged between the prosecution and defense teams.
During a break in the proceedings, Manila Rep. Joel Chua and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong were asked about Tolosa’s manner of examining Poa, who is a lawyer and member of Duterte’s defense team.
Chua said lawyers have different styles and strategies, noting that Tolosa is a trial lawyer.
“‘Yong abugado naman kasi may kanya-kanyang style eh,” Chua said, adding that younger trial lawyers tend to be more aggressive.
Alonto Adiong said Poa was not an ordinary hostile witness because of his legal background and role in the defense team.
“He’s not your ordinary hostile witness,” Alonto Adiong said, noting that Poa was familiar with legal procedures and courtroom arguments.
The questioning became tense after defense lead counsel Sheila Sison objected to Tolosa’s description of Poa as an “abugadong walang alam,” or a lawyer who knows nothing.
Sison asked that the remark be stricken from the record, arguing that Tolosa could have used more appropriate language.
Tolosa said he did not intend to insult Poa and explained that he was referring to Poa’s position during a 2024 House of Representatives hearing that he had no personal knowledge of the confidential expenditures made by the Department of Education in 2023.
Presiding officer Francis Escudero granted Sison’s request and ordered the statement removed from the record.
The Senate Impeachment Court later reprimanded Tolosa for engaging in “intramurals” with the defense and for wasting time after he began his examination by asking whether the defense was willing to stipulate that Poa was a competent lawyer.
Alonto Adiong said he would not advise Tolosa to change his approach, noting that the prosecutor was able to present his questions to the witness, defense and presiding officer.
“I would not advise him to tone down, personally,” Alonto Adiong said.
Chua also discussed the need to explain technical issues in terms that the public could easily understand. He cited his questioning of two Land Bank of the Philippines officials concerning confidential fund withdrawals, saying he had tried to “laymanize” the discussion.
Poa is the prosecution’s 10th witness for Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns allegations involving confidential fund use by Duterte’s offices at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
ia/xf
