Former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa testifies during Day 21 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Poa said he was unaware of Col. Dennis Nolasco’s alleged role in handling DepEd confidential funds when he prepared the agency’s response to state auditors.
Former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa acknowledged Wednesday that he prepared DepEd’s response to state auditors without knowing that a security official had allegedly received the agency’s confidential funds from its special disbursing officer.
Testifying as a hostile witness on Day 21 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Poa said he learned of then-Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group deputy chief Col. Dennis Nolasco’s alleged involvement only during a House inquiry in 2024.
Prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. confronted Poa with former special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda’s congressional testimony that he had turned over the confidential funds to Nolasco. “I’ll be more precise, actually that was the first time that I heard that there was a security officer,” Poa said.
The admission became significant because Poa had earlier prepared DepEd’s response to a Commission on Audit Audit Observation Memorandum covering the agency’s 2023 confidential expenditures. Asked whether he was unaware of Nolasco’s alleged role when he drafted the response, Poa replied: “That’s correct, that’s correct.”
Poa had previously testified before lawmakers that, based on what he knew at the time, only Duterte and Fajarda were privy to how the confidential funds were spent. He also agreed Wednesday that he had not spoken with Nolasco while preparing DepEd’s explanation to COA.
Tolosa asked why Poa did not subsequently seek clarification from Duterte after hearing Fajarda identify another person who allegedly handled the money. Poa said he had already resigned as OVP spokesperson by then and his communication with Duterte was no longer what it had been.
“No, and can I explain […] It was a very strange time at that point because I just resigned as spokesperson of the OVP, so the communication wasn’t like before, at that time,” Poa said.
The exchange highlighted a gap the prosecution sought to establish in DepEd’s audit response: the official who prepared it said he did not know at the time about the alleged involvement of the security officer purportedly entrusted with the funds.
The handling of DepEd’s confidential funds forms part of Article I of the impeachment case against Duterte, which involves allegations of misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds.