Deeper probe sought into 'cash envelopes' in DepEd during VP Sara's stint

A deeper investigation into the alleged distribution of cash envelopes to officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) during Vice President Sara Duterte's stint as its secretary has been sought following the testimony of the agency's executive corroborating the allegation. 

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said Sunday the gravity of the allegations of cash gifts and misuse of funds at DepEd are "deeply troubling" and necessitate a thorough probe given that it came from no less than the subordinates of Duterte.

"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 planned investigation.

DepEd director and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairperson Resty Osias told a House panel scrutinizing Duterte's fund utilization that he had received envelopes containing P12,000 to P15,000 beginning April until it stopped in September 2023—the time that confidential funds issue involving the Vice President started to be exposed in the limelight. 

Osias claimed that he was summoned by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda to her office four times to personally hand over the envelopes.

He admitted receiving the envelopes since he thought it was a "practice" in the department. 

Former DepEd undersecretary and now Office of the Vice President (OVP) spokesperson Michael Poa also admitted receiving envelopes with a "minimal amount" from Duterte herself but not on a monthly basis.

Osias and Poa's testimony gave weight to the previous attestation of ex-DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado, who claimed that she had been given nine envelopes with P50,000 from February to September of the same year. 

Mercado suspected that the envelopes were given to influence her as chief of the HoPE, or the Head of Procuring Entity.

Mercado retired in November 2023, a month after she was forced to resign due to her purported refusal to heed the order of the higher-ups to bypass the procurement process of the DepEd. 

Duterte, who headed DepEd for nearly two years until her resignation on 19 June, earlier rebuked Mercado's allegation, asserting she merely couldn't accept that she was ditched in DepEd for allegedly soliciting P16 million in donations from the private sector without her knowledge.

Castro stressed that the House must meticulously look into the alleged corruption hounding the DepEd as it not only "undermines the quality of education" but also harms the overall education sector, which is already grappling with significant issues, including the perennial shortage of classrooms.

 "We must unite in demanding accountability and ensuring that the resources meant for education are used appropriately and transparently. Our educators, students, and the Filipino people deserve nothing less," she concluded.

The VP has maintained that she will no longer face the House probe because it has an ulterior motive. 

Duterte alleged that the objective of the inquiry was solely to "make a case for [her] impeachment" and to discredit her head of the 2028 presidential polls, where she is perceived as the front-runner.

Assistant Majority Leaders Jefferson Khonghun and Paolo Ortega V, meanwhile, urged Duterte to cease her "budol" theatrics and directly address the pressing issues plaguing the DepEd, including the use of more than P15  million to purportedly pay informers. 

"No amount of on-screen meltdowns can bury the issue of the alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds under either the Office of the Vice President (OVP) or DEP. The Filipino people demand answers," Khonghun stressed.

"This is just the latest in a series of alleged misuse of public funds. Unfortunately, the Vice President has never addressed these issues directly and instead resorts to making outlandish statements. Puro soundbytes, pero walang substance," Ortega chimed in.

Last week's investigation revealed that the P15.54 million, which was part of the P150 million confidential funds of DepEd in 2023, did not go to the intended beneficiaries.

At least three military officers confirmed that they issued certifications to the DepEd for the Youth Leadership Summits (YLS) in 2023, a regular anti-insurgency program conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which the DepEd reportedly used to justify the P15.54 million expense for informant rewards.

The military officials made it clear their certifications were only for the YLS activities, not to authorize any financial transactions related to informants. They likewise denied receiving any funds from DepEd and said that the AFP and local government units shouldered most of the expenses for the summit.