Michael Poa: Impeachment proceedings were fair today

Defense counsel Michael Poa called the impeachment proceedings on Wednesday "fair" after he appeared as a witness and was grilled by the prosecution throughout.

Poa took the witness stand as Vice President Sara Duterte’s former chief of staff during her stint as the secretary of the Department of Education.

In a short statement to the media after the day's proceedings, Poa said that it was better for him to remain neutral.

“I am okay. I just wanted to thank the prosecution, si Attorney Tolosa, I think naman everything that happened today was quite fair, I would like to thank him for that,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He also extended his thanks to the defense’s lead counsel Sheila Sison for managing their side.

Prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. and Sison had a heated exchange in the impeachment court on the 21st day of Duterte’s impeachment.

One of these exchanges included Tolosa calling Poa a “lawyer that knew nothing.” Sison objected, moving to strike it off the record.

Tolosa later clarified that the context would show that he meant "walang alam" in relation to the confidential fund use.

WATCH: There is no intention to disrespect, says private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr., after his “abogadong walang alam” remark during the offer of testimony for Michael Poa, Defense counsel and former DepEd Chief of Staff.

“Clear naman po ‘yun if you look at the context,… pic.twitter.com/ioAmXX0Bb9

— GMA News (@gmanews) September 2, 2026

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero ruled in Sison’s favor. However, he also asked the public to be patient with the impeachment proceedings given how difficult they could be to follow. — BM, GMA News