Military Officials Deny Receiving Funds in Sara Duterte Trial

During the ninth week of her impeachment trial, Sara Duterte faced testimony from military officials and a former aide regarding the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos in confidential funds. Colonel Manaros Boransing II and Colonel Magtangol Panopio testified that their respective Army units received no funds from the Department of Education of the Philippines or the Office of the Vice President for the 2023 Youth Leadership Summits in Mindanao.

Despite these denials, the Department of Education of the Philippines used certifications signed by the colonels to justify 15.54 million pesos in spending to the Commission on Audit, claiming the money was used as rewards for informants. Boransing stated he was unaware his certification would be used for fund liquidation, noting that the 1st Infantry Division funded the anti-extremism programs exclusively through the Armed Forces of the Philippines budget. Witnesses further claimed the information provided by the education department was community-level data from teachers rather than confidential intelligence.

Former undersecretary and spokesman Michael Poa later testified as a hostile witness, confirming that the military never received confidential funds for these programs. While Poa admitted he informed Duterte of an audit memorandum regarding informant rewards, he claimed no knowledge of whether the information aided military activities. The House of Representatives prosecution panel is now considering dropping bribery charges against Duterte to expedite the trial, focusing instead on unexplained wealth, grave threats, and the misuse of confidential funds.