ICYMI: Sara Duterte impeachment trial Week 9 highlights

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Education chief of staff Michael Poa, now part of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, was declared a hostile witness for the prosecution as the Senate impeachment court examined how P112.5 million in confidential funds was spent during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.

His testimony on Day 21 on Sept. 2 followed two Philippine Army officers who questioned DepEd’s use of military certifications to justify its confidential fund expenses.

READ: ICYMI: Sara Duterte impeachment trial Week 8 highlights

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The prosecution, meanwhile, is weighing whether to drop the bribery allegations under Article III to speed up the trial and proceed to the unexplained wealth allegations under Article II.

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The developments came as senator-judges also discussed the 16-vote threshold for conviction or acquittal, while the Senate adjusted its schedule to accommodate impeachment proceedings alongside budget hearings and plenary sessions.

Key developments

Day 20 (Sept. 1, 2026)

• Col. Manaros Boransing II testified that the Philippine Army received no regular or confidential funds from Duterte’s offices for the 2023 Youth Leadership Summit and Information Education Communication activities.
• Col. Magtangol Panopio said his certification only confirmed that the Army conducted youth summits in its area of operations and did not validate how DepEd spent its confidential funds.
• Panopio said he personally considered it improper for DepEd to use his certification to support its confidential fund liquidation.
• Both officers said they were shocked to learn during a House committee hearing in October 2024 that DepEd had cited Army programs to justify its confidential fund expenses.
• Presiding Officer Francis Escudero barred witnesses from bringing earpieces, mobile phones, smartwatches and similar communication devices while testifying after the court determined that a viral image allegedly showing a witness wearing an earpiece was AI-generated.
• Sen. Vicente Sotto III said names appearing on acknowledgment receipts can be considered aliases only if there is a real person behind them. Otherwise, they should be treated as fictitious names.

READ: Highlights: Day 20 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | Sept. 1, 2026

Day 21: (Sept. 2, 2026)

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• The Senate impeachment court declared Poa a hostile witness for the prosecution, allowing prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. to ask leading questions.
• Poa was called to testify on the disbursement of P112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary from 2022 to 2024.
• Defense lead counsel Sheila Sison criticized the prosecution’s 13-point offer of testimony, saying it sounded like rhetoric intended to add drama to the proceedings.
• Poa acknowledged that he could potentially face personal liability if Duterte is found guilty of misusing confidential funds, but maintained that he had no personal knowledge of how the money was spent.
• He said he only learned during a House committee hearing in October 2024 that confidential funds had been handed to officials of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
• Poa also confirmed that not a single peso from DepEd’s confidential funds went to the military’s Youth Leadership Summits.
• The court reprimanded lawyers over a prolonged exchange during Poa’s testimony, with Escudero urging them to avoid wasting time.
• Outside the court, the prosecution panel said it was considering dropping Article III, which covers alleged bribery involving DepEd procurement officials, to expedite the impeachment trial.
• Lead public prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said no final decision had been made but that proceeding directly to Article II, the unexplained wealth allegations, was being seriously considered.
• Rep. Joel Chua said dropping the article would be a matter of prioritization rather than weakness, citing a similar move during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
• The prosecution also received bank documents and tax records involving Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio and associated companies. Rep. Terry Ridon described these as the final key pillar of evidence for the unexplained wealth allegations.
• Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed that some senator-judges had discussed the possibility of revisiting the 16-vote threshold needed to convict or acquit Duterte.
• The Senate also approved a scheduling arrangement allowing budget hearings and plenary sessions to proceed alongside afternoon impeachment proceedings.
• Escudero separately floated holding whole-day impeachment sessions in October, with the trial potentially suspended in November to make way for the Senate’s legislative calendar. /dp

READ: Highlights: Day 21 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | Sept. 2, 2026

Editor’s note: This update was generated with the aid of artificial intelligence based on Inquirer.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Cebu Daily News articles and reviewed by a human editor.