Former Department of Education Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa has an obligation to be truthful about his knowledge of the agency’s use of confidential funds, particularly since he was among its accountable officials when Vice President Sara Duterte was DepEd secretary, a lawmaker said.

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante said Poa must show accountability in explaining how millions of pesos in public funds were utilized, likening the former official to Pontius Pilate, the biblical figure who washed his hands of responsibility.

“Who is [Poa]? Pilate? When faced with God, he simply washed his hands? He said he has nothing to do with this but he does. Atty. Michael Poa must remember that it is his big boss who is involved in this,” Abante said in an online interview.

Abante acknowledged that Poa is not the impeachable officer on trial before the Senate and is merely “part and parcel” of the constitutional process.

Still, he said the former undersecretary could provide crucial information on how the P112.5-million in confidential funds allocated to DepEd in 2023 was spent.

“We just want to know what he knows about what the Vice President did, particularly with the confidential funds, particularly with the bribery that took place among the staff,” Abante said.

“I believe that Attorney Poa is accountable because he knew everything that happened,” he added.

Abante said his assessment was based on the previous hearings conducted by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and DepEd, both under Duterte.

Poa also served as Duterte’s lawyer and spokesperson, and is currently on her impeachment defense team.

Abante recalled Poa saying during the House proceedings that he knew nothing about Duterte’s transactions and he was not a recipient of confidential funds.

While Abante expects Poa may give similar answers before the impeachment court, he said the former DepEd official now faces a different setting and a greater obligation to provide information.

“This time it is a totally different story. He is no longer facing a Committee on Good Government. He is now facing the impeachment court. He could either convict or exonerate the VP. If he is really loyal to the Constitution, if he really knows what this means, he must tell the truth,” Abante said.

House Deputy Speaker Rep. Paolo Ortega said that Poa could not have defended Duterte without knowing the details of the processes involved.

Show up, Sara told

Meanwhile, Abante challenged Duterte to appear before the Senate impeachment court amid pleas from her camp to ease the restrictions on the “sub judice” rule on public statements on the proceedings.

Abante said Duterte’s camp was “crying foul” over the sub judice ruling because they were among those referred to by Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.