Unusual names in receipts didn’t come up till congressional hearings – Poa

MANILA, Philippines — Former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa said that the curious names in the acknowledgment receipts submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) as proof of the agency’s use of confidential funds did not surface until the House panel’s inquiry into the funds. 

Poa mentioned this on Wednesday as he served a hostile witness in Vice President Sara Duterte impeachment trial, where he also serves as one of the defense lawyers.

He was summoned to take the witness stand by the prosecution team on allegations that Duterte had misused confidential funds both in Department of Justice (DepEd) and the Office of the Vice President.

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After Poa was examined by the prosecution and the defense, Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asked Poa if he was aware of the names in the receipts submitted to COA.

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“I don’t remember anything fictitious. Nakita ko yung mga names na masasabi nating kakaiba nung congressional hearings na po, nung fina-flash sa screen yung Mary Grace Piattos, etc., na pinapalabas ay kakaibang mga pangalan. So, at that time na nasa DepEd ako, wala po akong nakitang mga acknowledgement receipts,” the lawyer told Tulfo.

(I don’t remember anything fictitious. I saw the names that we can say were strange during the congressional hearings, when Mary Grace Piattos, etc. were flashed on the screen. They were strange names. So, at that time when I was in DepEd, I didn’t see acknowledgement receipts.)

READ: Sara Duterte impeachment trial: Who is Michael Poa?

It was Poa who prepared DepEd’s response to COA when it questioned, through an audit observation memorandum (AOM), the agency’s use of confidential funds from the first three quarters of 2023 when Duterte was its secretary.

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While preparing the department’s response, he received the acknowledgement receipts in an unsealed envelope from then-DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda. 

Po recalled: “Nung hininigi ko yung DEPs (documents evidencing payments), kasi kasama yun nung AOM, binibigay yung sa ‘kin ni Mr. Fajarda in a sealed envelope. Sabi ko, ‘Pwede bang ipakita? Kasi tayo yung magsu-submit. Gusto ko man makita.’”

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(When I asked for the DEPs, because they were included in the AOM, Mr. Fajarda gave them to me in a sealed envelope. I said, ‘May I see them? Because we are the ones submitting them. I want to see them.’)

“Sabi sa kin, ‘Sir, confidential yan.’ Sabi ko, ‘Hindi. Kahit bigyan mo ako ng isang sample, para alam ko naman kung ano yung sinusumite natin.” Inunseal yung envelope. Pinakitaan ako ng isang acknowledgement receipt,” Poa narrated.

(He told me, ‘Sir, that is confidential.’ I said, ‘No. If you could just give me one sample, so that I know what we are submitting.’ The envelope was unsealed. I was shown an acknowledgement receipt.)

COA issued an AOM to the DepEd’s P112.5 million in confidential funds, flagging the lack of documents supporting how the funds were used.

READ: Poa admits learning CF handout to security exec only at House probe

Poa submitted DepEd’s response for the first two quarters in February 2024, and the third quarter in April 2024.

In September of that same year, the House committee on good government and public accountability launched an inquiry into Duterte’s confidential funds where Poa served as a resource person.

It was during the panels’ hearings that the payees for confidential activities were revealed.

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These included untraceable and seemingly questionable names resembling names of food brands, fruits, Filipino and Bisaya phrases, and some even sharing politicians’ surnames. /apl