DepEd under VP Sara used military certifications to justify P15M confi expenses

The Department of Education (DepEd) under then Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte used certifications from military officials, without the soldiers’ knowledge, to justify the disbursement of P15 million of its confidential funds for payment of informants in 2023, it was revealed on Thursday.

DepEd’s justification for spending P15 million of its confidential funds was based on OVP’s documentary submissions to the Commission on Audit (COA) that stated that such expense was for the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS).

It was also the COA that provided a copy of the DepEd’s justification to the House good government and public accountability panel which is investigating OVP’s budget use.

Then DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa confirmed that he asked then DepEd Undersecretary and retired Major General Nolasco Mempin to ask for certifications from military units to back up OVP’s spending of the P15 million confidential funds for informants in 2023.

However, Poa insisted he did it in good faith since COA was asking the OVP to respond to an audit observation memorandum (AOM) that questioned the said spending.

“To be perfectly candid, Your Honor, ang dami ko pong trabaho sa DepEd. One of them was to comply with AOM. I'm not using that as an excuse. So kung ano pong documentation na available at that time na nasa OSEC (Office of the Secretary) or binigay sa amin, binigay sa OSEC, ‘yun fact na yun po... ‘yung impression ko na there was already coordination and information from DepEd,” Poa said.

(I have a lot of work in DepEd...I just used the documentation available in our office...I had the impression that there was already coordination and information from DepEd.)

“Humingi po ako ng reports of evidence of success [for paying informants] as required by COA. Nung nakita ko po ‘yung [certification] report, ang pagkakaintindi ko po is hinold yung mga seminars due to coordination and information received from DepEd. So I took the certificate [from them],” Poa added.

(I asked for reports of evidence of success, and when I saw the certification, I took it to mean that the seminars were held due to coordination and information received from DepEd.)

All the soldiers who provided certifications to the OVP later confirmed they did not know that their certifications would be used to justify the OVP’s P15 million confidential fund spending for informants.

“For our participants [of the YLS]...they used the local government unit funds. For the participants from the other stakeholders from DepEd, from PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), from the police, of course they used their own funds,” Colonel Manaros Boransing, one of those who provided the certification, said.

“We are not aware,” Boransing added when asked about he purpose of certifications.

Boransing’s answer of “we are not aware” was repeated by others who signed the certifications such as retired General Adonis Bajao, Colonel Magtanggol Panopio, and Lieutenant Colonel Sangdaan, Jr.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list lawmaker France Castro reprimanded Poa and COA, represented by lawyer Gloria Camora, for taking such certifications at face value.

“This reasoning is not sufficient to justify the use of P15 million confidential funds because we already heard [from the military] that this YLS program is not related to confidential funds. Narinig naman natin na walang relasyon ito dun sa confidential funds,” Castro said.

“You can’t use the YSL as justification [for the P15 million payment for informants]. Parang sa eskwelahan, hindi ka makapag-liquidate. Ngayon kulang ka ng ilang thousands. So ang gagawin mo ba, maghahanap ka ng resibo sa kung saan na pwede mo ipasok doon sa liquidation ng confidential funds,” Castro added.

(Do you look for other expenses to justify your unliquidated expenses?) 

Castro then said COA should not take DepEd’s submissions as gospel truth.

“Paano ba inaanalyze ng COA itong mga ginagastos na ito sa confidential funds? Nasaan po ang accomplishment report nito? Kasi hindi natin pwede tanggapin lang ito na, ganito na lang,” Castro said.

(How is COA doing its job here? Where is the accomplishment report? These documents don't hold water.)

To which Camora replied, “Ito lang po ‘yung na-receive namin. Sufficient na po ito.”

(These were the only ones we received and we found them sufficient.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News