Defense lawyer Michael Wesley Poa faces further questioning from the House prosecution regarding P112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds, according to impeachment spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers.
“Sa aking paniwala, ’yung ating nasaksihan doon sa Committee on Good Government hearing, hindi pa siya ’yung kumpleto o ’yung buong tanong na dapat na itanong kay Atty. Michael Poa,” Barbers said during an online press briefing. “So marami pang tanong na dapat masagot. Kaya I’m sure, pinaghahandaan ng prosecution ’yan.”
Poa, a former DepEd undersecretary under Vice President Sara Duterte, will be called to the stand next week during the Senate trial. Prosecutors plan to ask the court to declare him a hostile witness.
Barbers noted that Poa’s prior testimony before a House committee left key issues unresolved, specifically surrounding military certifications used to justify confidential fund expenditures. Military officials previously stated their units did not receive DepEd confidential funds for the activities and were unaware the documents would be used to liquidate the funds.
Poa’s testimony will support the prosecution’s case under the first article of impeachment, which targets a total of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and DepEd.