Lawmakers question Poa's role in VP Sara's impeachment legal team

Administration lawmakers on Tuesday expressed doubt about the inclusion of lawyer Michael Poa, former spokesperson of Vice President Sara Duterte, in the legal team representing her in a petition pending before the Supreme Court (SC), questioning the validity of her impeachment case.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre raised concerns that Duterte’s camp might use this to prevent Poa from testifying against the VP by invoking lawyer-client confidentiality in her upcoming trial in the Senate.

"I already anticipated that Atty. Mike Poa will be a member of the legal team because they can hide from the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality," Acidre told reporters in Filipino in a virtual presser. 

The Tingog lawmaker suspected that the move is another attempt to “deflect” public attention from the mounting issues tied to the alleged misuse of confidential funds, which have remained unanswered to date since being exposed during the marathon hearings conducted by the House Committee on Good Government last year.

“I think these steps taken by VP Duterte's camp are a deterrent for Mike Poa to testify in the impeachment court and tell the truth," he said.

Meanwhile, House Assistant Majority Leader Amparo Maria "Pammy" Zamora stated that although Poa joining Duterte’s legal team is no surprise, she has high hopes that the former spokesperson can now provide relevant details regarding Duterte’s use of confidential funds, which he denied being cognizant of during the hearings.

“Back then, there were things he couldn't answer regarding the confidential funds, saying he wasn't part of it. Now I'm very excited that he's part of VP Sara's impeachment team. We get to hear the correct answers from them," she said in the same briefing.

The SC on Monday announced that Poa filed his entry of appearance as co-counsel for Duterte in relation to the petition for certiorari and prohibition that seeks to nullify the impeachment case lodged by the House against the Vice President.

Poa, however, has yet to confirm whether he would also join Duterte’s defense team in her looming trial — which, if it leads to a conviction, could permanently bar the impeached VP from holding public office in the future, including her alleged ambition to run for president in the 2028 election.

Poa served as Duterte’s mouthpiece, chief of staff, and undersecretary in the Department of Education (DepEd) when she was still the agency’s secretary.

He joined Duterte in the Office of the Vice President in August 2019, also as spokesperson, after the VP resigned as DepEd’s chief.

Poa had attended the House inquiry into the alleged irregularities in Duterte’s use of secret funds from both the OVP and DepEd. He once admitted that he had received envelopes containing cash from Duterte “occasionally,” which lawmakers believe were bribes coming from confidential funds.

In November last year, Poa announced that he and Duterte “mutually decided” to pre-terminate his consultancy contract even prior to the hearing, during which he confirmed receiving cash envelopes.

Duterte — through her legal counsel Fortun, Narvasa, and Salazar Law Firm — petitioned the SC on 18 February to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the Senate from acting on her impeachment case, alleging that the articles of impeachment were defective and rife with constitutional infirmities.

The House, which impeached Duterte on 5 February, outlined seven impeachable offenses against her, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Earlier, Duterte, who headed DepEd for nearly two years until her resignation on 19 June, denied allegations of flooding her subordinates in the DepEd with cash envelopes apart from their monthly salary.

The allegations of bribery were one of the grounds used by the House to impeach her, with 215 lawmakers supporting the move. The Senate is expected to try her in July, once the 20th Congress takes over.