Metro Manila, Philippines – Michael Poa, former chief of staff of the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte, said he was unaware that a security officer handled the agency’s confidential funds in 2023, as he prepared the agency’s response to audit findings.
During the questioning of private prosecutor Jay Tolosa at the impeachment trial on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Poa – classified as a hostile witness – said he only learned about security officer Dennis Nolasco during the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability in October 2024.
He said it was in the hearing that he became aware that then special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda transferred the funds to Nolasco.
The Commission on Audit (COA) had issued an audit observation memorandum (AOM) against DepEd for its confidential fund use in the first and second quarters of 2023 in February 2024. The DepEd submitted a response in April of the same year.
“It means the time that you were preparing your response to the AOMs, you did not even know this role of Nolasco,” Tolosa asked Poa.
“That’s correct, sir,” the former education official responded.
“Upon hearing that, did you approach VP Sara since you had direct access to her,” Tolosa said.
“Hindi po [No]. It was a very strange time at that point because I just resigned as spokesperson of the OVP,” Poa answered.
‘Impossible’
Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros pointed out that it was impossible that a chief of staff did not know the existence of a security officer.
Poa then declined to give a direct answer, when asked if he was shocked that a special disbursing officer – as the accountable officer – did not know everything about how the confidential funds were spent.
“The difficulty in the question kung nagulat ba ako or hindi, especially with the SO, right after na malaman ko na may SO, kung matatandaan niyo, naghahain ng impeachment complaints laban sa vice president. I was already her counsel. Nalaman ko na basically kung ano ang kabuuan but as counsel, I cannot disclose because that is attorney-client privilege,” Poa said.
[Translation: The difficulty with the questions about whether I was surprised or not, especially regarding the security officer, was that right after I learned that there was an SO, if you remember, impeachment complaints were being filed against the vice president. I was already her counsel at that time. I basically learned what the whole matter was about; but as counsel, I cannot disclose that because it is protected by attorney-client privilege.]
The first impeachment complaint against Duterte was filed in December 2024.
Poa said had he known that there was a security officer, he would have directly approached Nolasco.
Senator-judge Win Gatchalian also grilled the former education official if he asked Fajarda if he gave rewards to the informants to prove the success of confidential operations.
“Hindi po, kasi ang sinasabi parati po niya sa field, itatanong niya sa field,” Poa responded, referring to field operatives.
[Translation: No, because what he would always say in the field—he would ask around in the field.]
“Kasi dito, kapag ganun ang sagot niyo na hindi nyo alam sino si ‘The Field’, parang dito very definite na yung sinabi nyo na naging successful. And then kanina, narinig ko rin na humingi kayo ng evidence of success sa other departments, like sa operation. But obviously, hindi naman ito ordinary success,” Gatchalian said.
[Translation: Because here, if you give that kind of answer, saying that you don’t know who “the field” is, it seems like what you said here was very definite – that it was successful. And earlier, I also heard that you asked for evidence of success from other departments, such as operations. But obviously, this is not an ordinary kind of success.]
Fajarda will take the witness stand on Monday, Sept. 7, after his testimony was delayed over his health condition.
