A light moment broke out during the 12th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial after House private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan questioned Commission on Audit (COA) witness Roderick Wamil about whether he personally knew defense lawyer Atty. Michael Poa.
The exchange happened on Tuesday, August 4, while Kapunan was asking Wamil about a September meeting concerning the liquidation of confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
"At sino-sino ang nasa meeting na 'to?" Kapunan asked Wamil.
"Ang naalala ko po ay si Atty. Zuleika Lopez at si Atty. Michael Poa po... Pinasama po ako sa meeting na iyon dahil ako po 'yung in charge of the audit of the confidential fund nu'ng DepEd at OVP po," Wamil replied.
Kapunan then asked the witness if he knew Poa personally.
"Kilala mo ba, Mr. Witness, si Atty. Michael Poa?" she asked.
"Nakikita ko po siya sa news," Wamil answered.
The response prompted Kapunan to point toward Poa, who was seated at the defense table, and ask:
"Nakikita mo siya sa news? Hindi mo siya nakikita in-person? Ayan oh!"
The remark drew laughter from members of the impeachment court.
Wamil initially said he was unsure about the specific timeline of the meeting but later clarified that Poa had introduced himself during the gathering.
"During that time, sorry, hindi po clear yung particular period," Wamil said.
When asked again if he was able to identify Poa during the meeting, Wamil replied, "Nagpakilala po sila, ma'am."
Kapunan then continued with her questioning about what happened during the meeting, briefly addressing Poa before correcting herself.
"Okay. And what happened during that meeting? Attorney, sorry for that. No, no, no. Nagpapagising, ma'am," she said, drawing another light reaction from those inside the courtroom.
Wamil is the prosecution’s witness for Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which focuses on the alleged misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds involving Vice President Duterte.
