By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Three Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials and lawyer Michael Poa are expected to take the witness stand next week as the Senate impeachment court examines allegations surrounding the use of P112.5 million in confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd).
The prosecution is set to present the military officials to clarify how AFP activities cited by DepEd in explaining its confidential fund expenditures were actually financed—and whether military certifications submitted by the agency accurately reflected the circumstances behind those activities.
One of the key witnesses is Col. Manaros Boransing II, who is expected to testify that an annual military event received neither reward money nor financial assistance from DepEd, despite the activity being cited by the department in its explanation of confidential fund spending.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a spokesman for the prosecution panel, said the testimony will be considered alongside Commission on Audit records, certifications and other evidence before the Senate impeachment court.
The prosecution also intends to revisit certifications connected to the AFP and the Youth Leadership Summit, an activity previously invoked by DepEd in responding to questions raised by state auditors.
During a 2024 House inquiry, military officers whose certifications were later cited by DepEd testified that Youth Leadership Summits were funded by the military and participating local governments. They also said their units did not receive confidential funds from DepEd for the activities.
The prosecution is likewise expected to present Col. Magtangol Panopio, whose testimony will focus on an AFP certification used by DepEd even though its signatories had previously indicated that they were unaware of how the document would be used.
Prosecution adviser and spokesman Ace Barbers said the hearings should also preserve the AFP’s institutional neutrality, particularly in determining whether military officials knowingly participated in the disputed funding process or whether their signatures were used without adequately explaining the documents’ purpose.
The issue is significant because the certifications may have been submitted to address an audit finding and support the liquidation of confidential fund expenditures.
Poa, meanwhile, is expected to provide testimony that prosecutors believe could fill gaps left by his earlier appearance during the House investigation into DepEd’s confidential funds.
Poa previously served as DepEd chief of staff and spokesman when Vice President Sara Duterte was education secretary. He is now part of Duterte’s defense team and serves as its spokesman.
The House prosecution plans to call him as a hostile witness over the alleged misuse of P112.5 million in confidential funds.
Barbers said Poa’s previous position within DepEd placed him close to official documents, communications and responses that could help the senator-judges establish how the questioned expenditures were processed and explained.
The coming testimonies are expected to put greater focus on the paper trail surrounding the confidential funds, particularly the role of military certifications and the explanations submitted by DepEd in response to government auditors.
For the prosecution, the central issue is not merely whether the activities cited by DepEd took place, but whether public records accurately established who financed them and whether those records were properly used to justify the liquidation of confidential funds.
ia/xf
