Michael Poa, one of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense lawyers for her impeachment trial, takes the stand as one of the prosecution’s hostile witnesses as the Senate impeachment court tackles Duterte’s alleged misuse of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential funds.
Poa, a partner at the Poa Himala and Virtucio Law Offices, was admitted to the bar in 2019 after earning his Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines.
He also has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts and Italian Studies from Flinders University.
But despite being a lawyer, Poa is most known for serving the government in various capacities under Duterte.
From July 2022 to 2023, Poa served as the DepEd Action Center’s spokesperson, before being promoted to undersecretary from 2023 to July 2024.
He then assumed the role of being the DepEd’s main mouthpiece from August to November 2024.
His brief stint as the DepEd’s spokesperson ended after he resigned from the department-alongside Duterte who left her post as education secretary.
Immediately after this, he was named the spokesperson of the Office of the Vice President. This was his last known position in the government.
Outside of his roles in the government, Poa is also known for handling criminal, civil and commercial litigation, taxation, as well as special projects