Daven Tamayo

Poa: No COA moves to revisit cleared DepEd confidential funds so far

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17883435270760-02-06-37e17ebe56756e5984d0efe5930ec7bc1c45c5cb7f653e521d57c60203187210_22579d8c9e8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lawyer Michael Poa takes the witness stand on Sept. 2, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MANILA — The Commission on Audit has not reopened any probe into the confidential fund expenses of the Department of Education for the first two quarters of 2023 under Vice President Sara Duterte, impeachment trial witness Michael Poa confirmed Wednesday.</div><p>Poa, also a defense lawyer, served as DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson when Duterte was also secretary of the agency.</p><p>In her cross-examination, lead defense counsel Sheila Sison asked Poa whether there was any effort from the COA to reopen the Credit Notice it issued for the said confidential fund expeditures.</p><p>&quot;As far as I&#x27;m aware, none at the moment,&quot; Poa said.</p><p>A Credit Notice for the DepEd confidential funds means its liquidation documents &quot;passed in audit&quot; but that issuance may still be revisited within a three-year period.</p><p>COA had issued a Credit Notice for the P75 million in confidential expenses of the DepEd, and part of that spending was the agency&#x27;s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/witness-says-his-certification-won-t-suffice-for-confi-funds-liquidation-1632">P15.54 million expenditure</a> for the payment of rewards.</p><p>The DepEd had a total of P112.5 million in secret funds that were withdrawn in three encashments or P37.5 million for the first three quarters of 2023. Duterte led the DepEd from 2022 to 2024. </p><p>Poa, during the direct examination, acknowledged that the Credit Notice was issued by the COA before the conduct of House hearings into the confidential funds and ahead of the testimonies of military officers this week.</p><p>On Tuesday, the DepEd under Duterte was accused of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/army-officer-says-no-confi-funds-provided-for-youth-leadership-summits-1343">&quot;misrepresenting&quot; military certifications</a> to justify its P15.54 million in alleged confidential-fund rewards.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/sara-duterte-s-camp-cites-for-any-legal-purpose-clause-in-certificate-used-for-coa-audit-1847">Sara Duterte’s camp cites ‘for any legal purpose’ clause in certificate used for COA audit</a></div><p>In the continuation of Sison&#x27;s cross-examination, Poa agreed that the COA did not issue any Notice of Disallowance or Suspension in connection with the concerned DepEd confidential expenses.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/29/ovp-s-p500m-bank-withdrawal-unusual-ex-landbank-exec-says-1225">OVP&#x27;s cash withdrawals &#x27;unusual&#x27; — ex-bank managers</a></div><p>With respect to the Office of the Vice President, the COA issued a Notice of Disallowance (an order to return a fund) for its confidential expenditures totaling P448 million, which is still subject to appeal.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/coa-studying-possibility-of-fraud-audit-into-vp-duterte-confidential-funds-auditor-1929">COA studying possibility of fraud audit into VP Duterte confidential expenses, auditor says</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAw5o2fgZgM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Commission on Audit has not reopened any probe into the confidential fund expenses of the Department of Education for the first two quarters of 2023 under Vice President Sara Duterte, impeachment trial witness Michael Poa confirmed Wednesday.</p>

The Commission on Audit has not reopened any probe into the confidential fund expenses of the Department of Education for the first two quarters of 2023 under Vice President Sara Duterte, impeachment trial witness Michael Poa confirmed Wednesday.