Senior lawmakers in the House of Representatives asserted that Atty. Michael Poa possesses significant unrevealed details concerning the Department of Education’s (DepEd) handling of confidential funds, despite his prior testimony before a House committee in 2024.
The statements from former Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers and La Union 1st District Representative Paolo Ortega V come as Poa prepares to take the stand in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte next week.
Poa served as DepEd’s chief-of-staff and spokesperson throughout Duterte’s directorship from 2022 to 2024.
Currently serving as a spokesperson and member of Duterte’s defense legal team, he is expected to be called as a hostile witness by House prosecutors regarding the alleged improper disbursement of ₱112.5 million in agency confidential funds.
“Yung ating nasaksihan doon sa Committee on Good Government hearing, hindi pa siya yung complete, yung buong dapat itanong kay Attorney Michael Poa,” Barbers said during an online press conference on Friday, August 28.
Barbers noted that Poa’s previous administrative position meant he routinely reviewed critical documentation that senator-judges must carefully examine.
“Gaya ni Ortonio, marami ring dokumentong dumadaan sa kanya na sinusuri nila at maaaring pinipirmahan nila. That must be made clear before the senator-judges,” Barbers added, referencing Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief-of-Staff Lemuel Ortonio.
Ortega emphasized that because Poa was questioned shortly after stepping down from DepEd during the House inquiry, lawmakers had limited opportunity for exhaustive cross-examination. He maintained that the impeachment proceedings now offer the proper venue for thorough inquiry.
“Nasa forum na siya ng impeachment court. Mas marami pong information at mas marami pong liwanag ang ma-shed niya sa mga topics na marami pong katanungan,” Ortega stated.
House records show Poa helped draft DepEd’s response to an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) regarding confidential funds and was directly involved in securing military certifications cited in that official response.
Retired colonels Manaros Boransing II and Magtangol Panopio previously told House investigators they were unaware their signed certifications would be utilized to justify DepEd’s fund liquidations.
Barbers highlighted that Poa’s legal background and former executive status make his role and advice during the fund disbursement central to the case.
“Yung paggamit nila nung pondong iyan, na confidential and intelligence fund na bihirang-bihirang ibigay sa DepEd secretary, tama ba ang pagkakagastos?” Barbers asked.
He concluded that the impeachment court must determine which documents Poa reviewed or signed, his understanding of those papers, and the advice he tendered to the officials executing the spending.
“Maraming tanong na dapat masagot, kaya I’m sure pinaghandaan ng prosecution iyan,” Barbers said.