MANILA, Philippines — Prosecution witness Col. Manaros Boransing II on Tuesday testified that there was no mention of confidential funds in the certification the Philippine Army issued to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) and Information Education Campaign (IEC).
During Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros's questioning, Boransing agreed that the Philippine Army and local governments normally fund YLS and IEC activities without DepEd, though he said he could only speak for his own division.
He also reaffirmed no funds — regular or confidential — were released to the 1st Infantry Division by DepEd in 2023.
Pressed further, Boransing confirmed the certification he signed made no mention of any amount DepEd spent, and attested only to DepEd and other stakeholders' participation in the activities, and nothing about how any funds were used.
"There was no mention of any funds in the certification that we issued," Boransing told the Senate impeachment court.
"The certification was their DepEd’s and other stakeholders' participation in the Youth Leadership Summit and the Information Education Communication Campaign," he added.
Boransing admitted that he only learned that his certification had been included in DepEd's submission in response to a Commission on Audit Observation Memorandum.
Prosecution counsel Reynaldo Robles said the certification was allegedly used to support DepEd's use of P15.54 million in confidential funds, citing it as proof of the success of its information-gathering or surveillance activities.
