Ridon: Former Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa should not automatically face liability merely because he prepared the DepEd's response to state auditors when the impeachment case is ultimately examining Vice President Sara Duterte's accountability for the confidential funds under her control.
According to Philippines News Agency, House of Representatives prosecutor, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, clarified in a press briefing that Poa's role is that of a witness, not the one on trial. Ridon emphasized that the impeachment proceedings primarily focus on Vice President Duterte's actions regarding the confidential funds. Poa's preparation of DepEd's response to a Commission on Audit (COA) Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) was based on information from officials involved in the operations, not from his firsthand knowledge.
Ridon further explained that Poa should not be held liable for responding to the AOM with the information available to him. He differentiated Poa's involvement from that of other officials who might face scrutiny in a separate criminal investigation related to the handling of confidential funds.
In potential future malversation cases involving DepEd or Office of the Vice President (OVP) funds, Ridon noted, the focus would be on specific individuals identified in COA notices. These include Duterte, former Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, former security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, and Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey. Ridon made it clear that the accountability lies with these identified personalities rather than Poa, who submitted the AOM.
Ridon has called on the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate possible malversation related to the confidential-fund transactions. However, he noted that any criminal liability would require a separate investigation from Duterte's impeachment trial, leaving Poa's testimony crucial for understanding the internal operations of DepEd while maintaining the impeachment court's focus on the constitutional trial of the Vice President.
