Atty. Michael Poa, VP Sara Duterte’s Lawyer, Speaks on COA Findings
SARA DUTERTE’S LAWYER – Atty. Michael Poa claimed there was allegedly no mention of any corruption in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA).
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte remains surrounded by accusations of alleged misused Confidential Funds as she leads the OVP and during her term as the Department of Education secretary. Amid the accusations, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte last February.
The impeachment complaint was transmitted to the Senate and a trial was expected to proceed in the 20th Congress. Contrary to the expectations of many people, before the 20th Congress officially opened, the Supreme Court declared the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as “unconstitutional” but, for Pres. Bongbong Marcos, the Supreme Court ruling on Duterte’s impeachment has “no bearing on merits”.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer, in behalf of her legal team, expressed that they welcome the decision of the high court which once again “upheld the rule of law”. According to Atty. Michael Poa, they remain prepared to address the allegations in the proper forum.
The Supreme Court ruled that another impeachment complaint may only be filed against Duterte starting February 6. However, the court also clarified that its decision does not dismisses the charges filed against the Vice President.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer spoke on the findings of the Commission on Audit or COA over the budget spending of the OVP. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Atty. Michael Poa claimed that there was no mention of any corruption in the use of OVP funds based on the COA findings.
“If you look at the findings of COA, whether it be from the audit observation memorandum, which is the first issuance of their findings all the way to the notice of disallowance, walang nakasulat doon na merong korupsiyon na nangyari or may binulsang pera,” the lawyer said.
Furthermore, based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer also claimed that what was written in the COA findings is the insufficiency of the documents submitted to the office. According to Poa, the Commission is asking the OVP to submit more documentation to really ensure that the budget of the office was spent right.
Amid the speculations, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte assured her of his support if she runs for president in 2028. Amid the allegations against her, the Vice President maintained that they answer questions in the proper forum and they refuse to address accusations made just anywhere.