‘No idea my certification would be used to liquidate DepEd confi funds’ – Army colonel

AN Army colonel on Tuesday testified in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte that he did know that the certification he issued to the Department of Education (DepEd) when Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was education secretary would be used to liquidate the agency’s P112.5 million in confidential funds for 2023.

Col. Maranos Boransing testified that his certification was for the Army’s Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) program and its information, education and communications activities.

It was issued upon the request of then DepEd undersecretary Nolasco Mempin, a retired major general in the military, he said.

Asked by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo if he knew that the document he signed was to be used for the liquidation of DeEd’s confidential funds, Boransing said, “I did not know that, sir.”

Tulfo posed another question: If he knew, would he have issued the certification?

Boransing however said it would be hard for him to “speculate” on what he would have done. He said he issued the certification to DepEd upon the instruction of his commander then, now retired Maj. Gen. Gabriel Viray.

“He told me to write the certification but there was no reason given,” he said.

The Army colonel pointed out that the activities covered by the document he signed were regularly programed by the Army and funded under its annual budget.

“We checked, and there was no money released to us from other government agencies, specifically from DepEd,” he added.

Asked if he knew about other military officers who issued similar certifications, Boransing said he only came to know about it when he attended a House hearing on the alleged misuse of confidential funds by DepEd and the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

He recalled that three officers had stated that “they also issued certifications.” “They were from the 5th, 7th and 9th infantry divisions,” he said.

Aside from the P112.5 million received by DepEd under the Vice President as confidential funds, the Office of the Vice President was given P500 million in similar funds in 2022 and 2023.

Of the entire amount of P612.5 million, the Commission on Audit has flagged P448 million, or more than 73 percent, in questionable disbursements, including P73 million that it has disallowed with finality.

The audit body has asked the Vice President and two other responsible officials to return the disallowed amount to the government.