MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Army officer testified Tuesday that no funds from the Department of Education (DepEd) were released to his unit for eight Youth Leadership Summits and information, education and communication activities in 2023, raising fresh questions over how the department accounted for millions of pesos in confidential fund expenses.
Col. Manaros Boransing II, former assistant chief of staff for civil-military operations of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and now Task Force Zamboanga commander, made the statement during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on September 1.
Boransing was asked about the funding of the Youth Leadership Summits (YLS), an inter-agency initiative aimed in part at preventing young people from being recruited into violent extremism.
His answer was direct: his Army division did not receive money from DepEd for the activities.
“No funds whatsoever or any amount was downloaded to the First Infantry Tabak Division for 2023” for the YLS and related IEC campaigns, Boransing testified, according to SunStar.
The ₱15.54-million question
The testimony is significant because a military certification connected to the activities was previously used by DepEd in explaining its confidential fund expenditures.
According to congressional records, ₱15.54 million in DepEd confidential funds was at issue in connection with payments described as rewards for information. The amount formed part of the agency’s confidential fund expenditures that had been questioned by the Commission on Audit over supporting documentation.
But Boransing told the impeachment court that the certification he issued did not state that DepEd had provided money to the Army.
He also said the certification did not contain information about how much DepEd supposedly spent on the military activities.
‘The certification was not about funding’
Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros pressed Boransing on whether his certification had attested to the proper use of DepEd’s confidential or intelligence funds.
His answer was no.
Boransing explained that the document was about the participation of DepEd and other stakeholders in the Youth Leadership Summit and Information Education Communication activities, rather than a certification of DepEd’s spending.
He further testified that he was not initially aware that the certification would later be used to support DepEd’s confidential-fund accounting.
According to his testimony, former DepEd Undersecretary retired Major General Nolasco Mempin had requested the certification.
So who paid for the youth summits?
Boransing said the funding depended on the participants and agencies involved.
Army personnel were covered through the Army’s own budget, while students and out-of-school youth could be supported by provincial, city or municipal governments. Other participating agencies and civilian stakeholders were responsible for their own expenses, according to separate reporting on his testimony.
The Army’s own spending for the events also appeared relatively modest.
Boransing told senator-judge Bam Aquino that individual Youth Leadership Summits could cost roughly ₱30,000 to ₱60,000, depending on the activity.
Why the testimony matters
The testimony does not by itself establish what happened to DepEd’s confidential funds.
What it does establish, based on Boransing’s account, is that his Army unit did not receive DepEd funds for the 2023 Youth Leadership Summits, despite the military certifications later being used in DepEd’s response to questions surrounding its confidential-fund expenditures.
That distinction is important.
The ongoing impeachment proceedings are examining allegations surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte’s use of confidential funds during her time as DepEd secretary. The House prosecution has previously cited the YLS certifications as part of its allegations concerning the liquidation of ₱15.54 million in DepEd confidential funds.
A testimony that could deepen scrutiny
Boransing’s statements add another layer to the controversy because the military official who issued one of the certifications says the document did not certify that DepEd money financed the Army’s activities.
The congressional record likewise notes that several Philippine Army officials testified that no DepEd confidential funds were transferred to the AFP, even though their certifications were submitted by DepEd as supporting documents.
The impeachment trial is continuing, and additional military testimony is expected to further examine the certifications and the relationship between the Army’s youth activities and DepEd’s confidential-fund accounting.
The key takeaway
The Army says it did not receive DepEd money for the 2023 youth summits. Yet a military certification connected to those activities was used in DepEd’s documentation concerning ₱15.54 million in confidential-fund spending.
That leaves the central question at the heart of the controversy:
If the Army did not receive the money for those activities, how were the disputed confidential-fund expenses actually accounted for?
This article reflects testimony and allegations presented in an ongoing impeachment proceeding. Testimony or allegations should not be treated as a final finding of wrongdoing.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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