Manila: The House prosecution panel is set to present Vice President Sara Duterte's former chief of staff, Michael Wesley Poa, and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician, Marizza Grande, as witnesses in the upcoming impeachment trial next week. This move aims to shed light on the alleged misuse of PHP112.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte's tenure as education secretary.
According to Philippines News Agency, the lead prosecutor, Batangas Representative Gerville 'Jinky Bitrics' Luistro, announced the intention to issue subpoenas for Poa and Grande to appear in court. However, Presiding Officer Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero noted that Poa, now part of Duterte's defense team, was already present and willing to testify, making a subpoena unnecessary. Escudero mentioned that Poa could testify on September 1 if the military witnesses scheduled for that day fail to appear.
The military witnesses, Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtangol Panopio, were initially identified in connection with DepEd's response to the Commission on Audit's findings on confidential fund expenditures. The officers had previously testified that their military units did not receive funds for activities covered by certifications, such as Youth Leadership Summits. Poa's involvement includes submitting these military certifications and preparing accomplishment reports on DepEd's confidential funds.
Col. Boransing, who was supposed to testify earlier, requested a postponement to consult with his superiors. Senator Escudero granted the request, rescheduling his testimony to September 1, alongside Col. Panopio. Meanwhile, retired Maj. Gen. Adonis Bajao was dropped as a witness due to difficulties in serving a subpoena.
Marizza Grande is expected to testify on PSA's verification of names in acknowledgment receipts related to confidential fund expenditures. The prosecution plans to use PSA findings as evidence regarding fund recipients whose identities could not be confirmed in civil registry records. The impeachment court has also approved marking additional documents received from the PSA in preparation for Grande's testimony.
The witnesses are being presented under the first article of impeachment, which accuses Duterte of misusing PHP612.5 million in confidential funds, with PHP500 million released to the Office of the Vice President and PHP112.5 million to DepEd.
