Poa Declared Hostile Witness in VP Duterte Impeachment Trial

Lawyer Michael Wesley Poa from the defense team has now been called by the House prosecution panel on the witness stand to testify in the impeachment trial of his superior, Vice President Sara Duterte. Shortly after Poa took his oath before the Senate impeachment court when the trial resumed on Wednesday morning, he was declared as a hostile witness by presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr., counsel and spokesperson for the prosecution panel, currently handles his direct examination. Poa, incumbent spokesperson for the defense panel, is specifically expected to address allegations on how the Department of Education (DepEd) disbursed P112.5 million in confidential funds during Duterte's tenure as Education secretary. He served as spokesperson of DepEd from July 2022 to July 2024, as well as the agency’s undersecretary and chief of staff. In July 2024, Poa, along with other DepEd officials, resigned from their posts almost a month after Duterte quit as Education Secretary. In August 2024, Poa was appointed spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President (OVP). In November of the same year, he confirmed that he was no longer the OVP spokesperson since his consultancy contract had been terminated. Poa earned a degree in Creative Arts and Italian Studies from Flinders University in Australia in 2007, and his Juris Doctor from the University of the Philippines in 2018. He was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2019. Poa specializes in criminal, civil and commercial litigation, taxation, and special projects. — RSJ, GMA News