Ex-DepEd official used fire exit after 3 withdrawals totaling P112.5M — witness

A former Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) branch manager on Wednesday testified that a former Department of Education (DepEd) official personally encashed three checks totaling P112.5 million in 2023 and left the bank through a fire exit after each transaction.

Testifying at the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, former LandBank DepEd branch manager Nenita Camposano said former DepEd Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda encashed three checks worth P37.5 million each at the branch on February 22, April 26, and July 13, 2023.

Camposano was the second LandBank official presented by the House prosecution panel on Wednesday as a witness for Article I of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

Article I alleges that Duterte committed culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust in connection with the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

Camposano previously managed the LandBank branch that serves as the depository bank of the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City, where the three checks were drawn and encashed.

Earlier, defense lawyer Michael Poa had stipulated to the existence, authenticity, and other details of the checks.

Asked during direct examination about the procedure for encashing the checks, Camposano said the same process was followed for all three transactions.

She said DepEd Chief Administrative Officer Sonia De Leon would first call the bank to request a cash reservation for the withdrawal. Camposano would then instruct the teller to forward the request to LandBank's cash center.

Camposano said advance notice was necessary to give the bank time to prepare the money because the branch did not normally keep such large amounts of cash on hand.

Once the cash was available, Camposano would inform De Leon, who, in turn, would notify Fajarda.

Fajarda would then proceed to the bank, where his identity would be verified before the cash was released to him in the branch's backroom.

“Kapag natapos na ang proseso ng pag-validate ng tseke at pag-approve, tatawagin namin si Fajarda sa backroom. Doon ire-release na ang cash withdrawal,” Camposano said.

(After we validate and approve the check, we would ask Fajarda to come to the backroom. The cash would then be released to him there.)

Camposano said she and a bank teller would assist Fajarda in the backroom.

“Ilalagay na ni Mr. Fajarda sa dala niyang bag at lalabas na sila sa fire exit sa may backdoor namin… Paglabas po nila sa fire exit, hindi na po namin sila nakikita,” she said.

(Mr. Fajarda would place the cash in the bag he brought and leave through the fire exit at our back door. Once they exited through the fire exit, we could no longer see them.)

During a brief cross-examination, Poa, a former DepEd undersecretary under Duterte, asked Camposano to clarify why Fajarda used the bank's back door.

“Lumabas po siya sa fire exit dahil ang LandBank ay nakadikit sa DepEd compound, hindi po ba?… Lumabas siya dahil safer dahil nasa loob na siya ng DepEd, tama po ba?” Poa asked.

(He exited through the fire exit because LandBank is adjacent to the DepEd compound, correct? He went out that way because it was safer since he would already be inside the DepEd compound, correct?)

Camposano answered in the affirmative. — MCG, GMA News