Army Official 'Surprised' Certification Used to Justify VP Sara's P15-M Confidential Fund

Army Colonel Magtanggol Panopio on Tuesday said he was surprised that the certification he issued in December 2023 was used to justify the Department of Education's (DepEd) P15.5 million confidential fund spending on Day 20 of the impeachment trial. It was then DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa who told lawmakers that he asked for such military certifications from then Education Undersecretary Nolasco Mempin to justify DepEd’s confidential fund expenses on rewards for informants during a House panel inquiry in October 2024. As a result, it was Mempin who asked his subordinates for such certifications. “Nalaman po namin iyan noong humarap kami sa Congress, noong nagkaroon po ng congressional hearing sa confidential intelligence fund ng Department of Education, Your Honor. Medyo nagulat po kami, kasi iyong certification po namin is only for the certification that we conducted the Youth Leadership Summit,” Panopio said. “Hindi po namin sine-certify anything about money or funds, Your Honor,” he added. Before Panopio took the stand, military Colonel Maranos Boransing II also testified that the certification he issued to Poa as requested by Nolasco did not attest to the propriety of DepEd’s confidential fund spending. Boransing said the certification was for their (DepEd) and other stakeholders' participation in the Youth Leadership Summit and the Information Education Communication Campaign. During the October 2024 House inquiry, Poa said he asked Mempin for such military certifications “in good faith” since the Commission on Audit was asking the DepEd to respond to an audit observation memorandum (AOM) that questioned the said confidential fund spending on rewards for informants. Poa explained that he had a lot of work at DepEd and used the documentation available at that time in his office, giving him the impression that there was already coordination and information from DepEd.