Camille Naredo

Atty. Michael Poa testifies as a hostile witness during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Atty. Michael Poa testifies as a hostile witness during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Poa, who previously served as a Department of Education official and spokesperson for Duterte’s defense team, was called to the stand regarding the disbursement of confidential funds during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178835725347320260902-senate-vp-sara-impeachment-day21-poa-MT575.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Atty. Michael Poa testifies as a hostile witness during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Atty. Michael Poa testifies as a hostile witness during the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Defense counsel Michael Poa on Wednesday thanked counsel for prosecution Benjamin Tolosa Jr. for conducting a direct examination that the former Education undersecretary-turned-legal counsel found &quot;quite fair.&quot;</p><p>Tolosa and Poa were pitted as prosecutor and <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/2/impeachment-court-declares-poa-as-hostile-witness-1026">hostile witness</a> on the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial, with the former flagging several issues in the liquidation report for the Department of Education&#x27;s (DepEd) P112.5-million confidential funds.</p><p>&quot;I think naman everything that happened today was quite fair. So, I&#x27;d like to thank him for that,&quot; Poa told reporters after the trial.</p><p>&quot;I think everything went peacefully naman. I was happy with how things went,&quot; he said in a separate chance interview.</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t think we should make an issue out of it. Whatever happened today it&#x27;s normal in regular trials,&quot; he said.</p><p>Earlier in the day, Poa mentioned that he was glad that it was Tolosa who was tasked to examine him as a witness.</p><p>&quot;With Atty. Jay, I have the highest respect for him so it&#x27;s good that he&#x27;s gonna be the one doing the direct examination,&quot; he said before the trial began.</p><p>Poa testified that he first learned that a security officer was handling the DepEd&#x27;s confidential funds during a congressional hearing in November 2024, noting that the agency&#x27;s special disbursing officer had been referring to &quot;field&quot; operatives when he asked for details about the allocation.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/2/poa-says-he-first-learned-of-security-officer-handling-confidential-funds-at-house-hearing-1558">READ: Poa says he first learned of security officer handling confidential funds at House hearing</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/2/poa-no-coa-moves-to-revisit-cleared-deped-confidential-funds-so-far-1816">READ: No COA moves to revisit cleared DepEd confidential funds so far—Poa</a></div><p>The defense lawyer-turned-hostile witness also told the court that he was never acquainted with the DepEd security officer Col. Dennis Nolasco, as he was only conversing with the agency&#x27;s former special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda and former Undersecretary Nolasco Mempin on issues surrounding the confidential funds.</p><p>Despite several friction points between the prosecution, the defense, and even the witness during Wednesday&#x27;s proceedings, Tolosa underscored that there is &quot;nothing personal&quot; between him and his opposing counsel.</p><p>&quot;We are all just doing our jobs. Hindi po kami nag aaway away, at hindi naman yun talagang sigawan,&quot; Tolosa said.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s more of a discussion pero hindi naman contentious in a sense na hindi na magkasundo,&quot; he said.</p><p>The prosecution was able to hit its targets for the day, Tolosa said, without elaborating on the details.</p><p>&quot;Hindi ko papangunahan kung ano mang information yan na sa tingin namin ay mabigat o makakatulong sa kaso namin o para sa publiko na dito mag concentrate,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Discretion yan ng senator judges,&quot; he added.</p><p>Tolosa will continue to serve as one of the prosecution&#x27;s spokespersons, while Poa will maintain his status as Duterte&#x27;s chief spokesperson in the impeachment trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kx-zNF4_I3o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Defense counsel Michael Poa on Wednesday thanked counsel for prosecution Benjamin Tolosa Jr. for conducting a direct examination that the former Education undersecretary-turned-legal counsel found "quite fair."</p>

Defense counsel Michael Poa on Wednesday thanked counsel for prosecution Benjamin Tolosa Jr. for conducting a direct examination that the former Education undersecretary-turned-legal counsel found "quite fair."

Poa thanks Tolosa for 'quite fair' direct examination in VP Duterte's impeachment trial

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Poa thanks Tolosa for 'quite fair' direct examination in VP Duterte's impeachment trial

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2026 09:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Benjamin Tolosa Jr.

Michael Poa

Sara Duterte

Duterte impeachment trial

Senate impeachment court

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