Deeper probe of Sara ‘cash dole outs’ sought

A deeper investigation into the alleged distribution of cash envelopes to Department of Education (DepEd) officials during Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure as secretary was pushed following testimony from a department executive corroborating the claim.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said Sunday that the gravity of the allegations of cash gifts and misuse of funds at DepEd is “deeply troubling” and necessitates a thorough probe, given that the allegations came from Duterte’s own subordinates.

“The revelations by DepEd officials about receiving cash envelopes from high-ranking officials are alarming. Such practices, if true, constitute a serious breach of public trust and must be addressed with utmost urgency,” said Castro, urging her colleagues to support the investigation.

DepEd Director and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chair Resty Osias told a House panel investigating Duterte’s use of funds that he received envelopes containing P12,000 to P15,000 from April until the practice stopped in September 2023, coinciding with the exposure of the issue involving the Vice President’s confidential funds.

Osias claimed he was summoned by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda to her office on four occasions to personally receive the envelopes. He said he accepted the envelopes, believing it to be a common “practice” within the department.

Former DepEd Undersecretary and now Office of the Vice President spokesperson Michael Poa also admitted receiving envelopes with “minimal amounts” from Duterte herself, though not on a monthly basis.

Their testimonies added weight to earlier claims by ex-DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Mercado, who said she received nine envelopes containing P50,000 from February to September of the same year. Mercado suspected the envelopes were intended to influence her decisions as chief of the Head of Procuring Entity.

Mercado retired in November 2023, a month after resigning, allegedly due to her refusal to comply with orders from higher-ups to bypass DepEd’s procurement processes.