Former Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Michael Poa confirmed transmitting unaltered Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) certifications to state auditors, while acknowledging uncertainty over whether the papers were sufficient to clear audit findings.
Testifying as a hostile witness on day 21 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial, Poa responded to inquiries regarding the agency’s liquidation filings for its confidential funds.
During questioning by prosecution lawyer Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. about whether the military documents were forwarded directly to the Commission on Audit (COA), Poa confirmed the submission was made without modifications.
“Yes, sir,” Poa stated when asked if the documents were submitted “as is.”
The former official further conceded his own doubts regarding whether the documentation satisfied the Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) issued by state auditors.
“Yes, sir,” Poa replied when questioned if he was uncertain that the submissions would adequately address COA’s observations.
Cross-examination by the prosecution highlighted that the military papers omitted the names of individuals who allegedly received informant rewards, a point Poa conceded. He further confirmed that the documents lacked details on the precise intelligence gathered, save for a brief mention in a counter-manifestation linking the information to the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS).
“With just a counter-manifestation, no particular information except it says they were able to identify areas with the YLS,” Poa said.
When asked to confirm that the certifications contained no specific intelligence details beyond that reference, Poa answered in the affirmative.
The line of questioning formed part of the prosecution’s effort to examine how DepEd managed and justified its confidential fund expenditures under Duterte’s tenure.