Manila: The Senate Impeachment Court has declared Michael Wesley Poa, former Department of Education (DepEd) chief of staff to Vice President Sara Duterte, a hostile witness. This decision allows the House prosecution to question Poa, who now serves as a defense lawyer in the ongoing impeachment trial.

According to Philippines News Agency, the ruling was issued by Presiding Officer Senator Francis Escudero just before private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. began his examination concerning DepEd's PHP112.5 million in confidential funds. Escudero stated, "The Chair will proceed to declare Atty. Poa as a hostile witness, therefore giving Atty. Tolosa the right to ask leading questions, but again, as a reminder, not to ask misleading questions."

Poa, who previously served as DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff, and spokesperson during Duterte's tenure as education secretary, is now part of her defense team. Lead defense counsel Shiela Sison emphasized to the court, "It is a matter of record that the witness is part of the defense team and one of the lawyers of the Vice President, and it can be reasonably presumed that the witness will not provide on a plate the prosecution's theory and conclusions."

The prosecution's move to have Poa declared a hostile witness comes as they prepare to question him about his response to the Commission on Audit's (COA) findings regarding DepEd's confidential fund expenditures. Tolosa highlighted Poa's previous admission of lacking personal knowledge on the actual usage of these funds before responding to the audit observations.

Tolosa questioned the rationale behind Vice President Duterte tasking Poa, one of her trusted aides, to address the COA's Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), despite Poa's admission of having no personal insight into the operationalization of the funds. "That is very material," Tolosa asserted.

The prosecution's investigation focuses on the use and liquidation of PHP112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds in 2023, forming a crucial part of the first Article of Impeachment against Duterte.