Senate impeachment court removes 'abogadong walang alam' describing Poa off the record

The Senate impeachment court has struck down the "abogadong walang alam" (a lawyer who knows nothing) remark of private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. from Senate records when he questioned Vice President Sara Duterte's counsel Michael Poa about his knowledge on confidential fund spending at the Department of Education (DepEd).

This developed after defense team lead counsel Sheila Sison called out Tolosa's statement as a "rhetoric to provide drama" during Day 21 of Duterte's impeachment trial.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said such description of Tolosa is not fitting to describe a fellow lawyer.

"The chair orders to strike abogadong walang alam off the records. The chair finds it discourteous, to say the least," Escudero said.

Tolosa said his comments were not meant to disparage Poa and were based on latter's previous testimony before a House inquiry that "he knew totally nothing" about DepEd's confidential fund disbursements.

"I offended you, I am sorry. I wasn't my intention," Tolosa said.

Poa bowed out as spokesperson of the defense panel's spokesperson when he was called by the prosecution to testify in the impeachment trial regarding the use of confidential funds in the DepEd during Duterte's tenure as the agency's secretary. — VDV, GMA News