The House Committee on Justice has subpoenaed one of Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal counsels to appear in the ongoing impeachment hearings, specifically to testify on his knowledge of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential funds.
Atty. Michael Poa, who previously served as Duterte’s chief of staff and spokesperson, was ordered to attend the April 14 hearing at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
During a session of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability in October 2024, chaired by Manila City 3rd District Representative Joel Chua, Poa stated that Duterte directly managed the confidential funds of the DepEd. Duterte held the post of Education Secretary from 2022 until June 2024.
The Justice panel also directed the submission of documents transmitted by DepEd to the Commission on Audit (COA) to verify the expenditures of the confidential funds.
The impeachment hearings aim to determine whether probable cause exists in the complaints filed against Duterte. If sufficient grounds are established, the case will be elevated to the Senate for trial.