House panel summons Michael Poa to VP Duterte impeach hearing

The House justice committee on Justice on Wednesday issued a subpoena for lawyer Michael Poa, Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff when she was secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

A total of 34 members voted in favor of ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio’s motion while three voted in the negative.

“In such capacity, he has very material and relevant information on how the confidential funds in the DepEd were used,” Tinio said.

“He had a direct role in the preparation of the accomplishment reports relating to the use of the DepEd confidential funds, some of which these accomplishment reports have been the subject of the request for subpoena that this committee has approved,” he added.

Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez objected to the motion.

He said he could not find a reason or connection to subpoena Poa, as Poa has already entered his appearance as one of Duterte’s legal counsels.

Rodriguez questioned whether Poa certified or signed documents relating to confidential funds.

“Just because they are in the Office of the Vice President – we’ll be giving subpoena to everybody there to the Vice President’s Office. So I object and I would like to know about that,” he said.

In response, Tinio noted that in the third impeachment complaint endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima, there was a section discussing Poa’s role in preparing the accomplishment reports on the use of confidential funds.

For his part, Poa said he will abide by the subpoena, subject to its contents.

“I will wait for the subpoena. Titignan ko ano ‘yun laman ng (I’ll check the content of the) subpoena. But definitely, I am willing to attend. Wala akong any (I have no) intention to evade, having to attend before the committee on justice,” Poa said in a press conference. 

He, however, admitted that he was a bit surprised by the subpoena issued against him.

“I was a bit surprised because I think the ground stated there was that I was the one in charge of the accomplishment report et cetera, which obviously the facts and documents show that it was not me,” he added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News