PHDuring the 21st day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, Defense Counsel Atty. Michael Poa admitted that he had never seen a vault for confidential documents while working at the Department of Education (DepEd). This admission raises concerns about compliance with Joint Circular (JC) No. 2015-01, which mandates that agencies using confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) store related documents in a secured vault managed by a Special Disbursing Officer (SDO). Senator-Judge Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan highlighted that the absence of a vault could constitute a violation of the circular. Poa explained that when responding to an audit observation memorandum from the Commission on Audit, the SDO reportedly retrieved documents from the field rather than from a vault. This suggests that the documents might have been unsecured for an extended period. Pangilinan expressed frustration over the lack of clarity surrounding DepEd's management of confidential funds.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a balanced account of the testimony and counterpoints between Poa and Pangilinan without overtly favoring either side. The framing remains neutral, focusing on the legal and procedural aspects of the issue without evident ideological bias.
