Poa says unusual receipt names emerged only during House inquiry

MANILA — Michael Poa, who previously served as Education Undersecretary, testified before a congressional panel that the questionable names listed in receipts submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) only became apparent during the House of Representatives' examination of the confidential funds.

Poa appeared before the House committee on Wednesday as a hostile witness, addressing questions about documentation used to justify how the Department of Education utilized its confidential expenditures. The receipts in question, which serve as proof of fund utilization, contained names that raised concerns among legislators and auditors.

The unusual entries in the acknowledgment receipts had not been flagged or identified through normal administrative channels prior to the formal congressional inquiry, according to Poa's account. The discrepancies surfaced only when lawmakers began their systematic review of how the agency had spent confidential allocations.

The testimony adds another layer to ongoing scrutiny of confidential fund management within the education department. The House panel's investigation has focused on ensuring that public funds allocated for sensitive operations are properly documented and accounted for in compliance with government auditing standards.