Poa admits he never saw DepEd’s vault for confidential documents

MANILA, Philippines — It is not clear whether the Department of Education (DepEd) had a vault for its confidential documents, with its former spokesperson and chief-of-staff Michael Poa on Wednesday admitting that he had never seen the safe during his time with the department.

According to Senator-Judge Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan during the 21st day Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, the lack of such a vault would be a violation of Joint Circular (JC) No. 2015-01, the primary regulatory framework for the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds or CIF.

READ: WATCH: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Sept. 2

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Under the JC, agencies utilizing CIF are strictly required to keep receipts, logs, as well as sensitive identity details inside a secured agency vault managed by a designated Special Disbursing Officer (SDO).

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“According sa JC may vault na required but ako po, hindi ko nakita ‘yung vault na ‘yon,” Poa admitted during the proceedings.

(There is a vault required but I didn’t see that vault.)

“Wala po akong nakitang vault noong nasa DepEd po ako,” he added.

(I didn’t see any vaults when I was at DepEd.)

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In fact, Poa even said that when he was instructed to respond to an audit observation memorandum or AOM from the Commission on Audit regarding DepEd’s confidential funds, the lawyer said the department’s SDO had to “get it from the field.”

“So it was not in the vault?” said Pangilinan.

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“Based on logic, it was not in the vault at the time that I asked for it,” Poa responded.

Pangilinan then pointed out that being from the field meant that the confidential documents were outside the vault for almost six months.

But Poa said DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda would be the best person to address the matter as he had no personal knowledge about it.

“‘Yun lang siguro ang concern na you don’t know if there is a vault, na kung walang vault, violation na agad ‘yun ng JC,” said Pangilinan.

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

(That’s one concern, that you don’t know if there is a vault, and if there isn’t a vault, that’s already a violation of the JC.)

“You don’t know if it was kept on the envelope because the SDO said it was on the field, so most likely it was not in an envelope in the vault, so another violation, assuming ha? I don’t know” he added.

With this, Pangililanan lamented how many questions about DepEd’s spending and handling of confidential funds continue to be left unanswered—leaving the public unable to know if the funds were spent correctly.

“’Yon ang medyo trahedya rito. Nais natin malaman ang katotohanan pero hindi nakukuha sa testigo ang katotohanan, medyo malungkot,” he said.

(That’s what’s a bit tragic here. We want to know the truth but we can’t get the truth from the witness, it’s a bit sad.)

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Poa, for his part, apologized, reiterating that he simply had no personal knowledge on the matter—adding that if he did, he “would gladly answer.” /mr