NBI probing senior high voucher anomaly

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said it has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe alleged abuses in the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program.

The DepEd characterized the NBI investigation as an independent internal probe, as Education Secretary Sonny Angara ordered the central office to inform the public of the anomalies in the program.

“We will ensure that the SHS voucher program remains a tool for educational access, not a loophole for fraud,” Angara said. “We are strengthening safeguards, reinforcing accountability, and making sure only rightful beneficiaries receive assistance.”

Angara authorized the DepEd executive committee to pursue all legal and administrative actions necessary to protect the program’s integrity and prevent future irregularities.

The DepEd assured lawmakers of its full cooperation in addressing concerns regarding the program’s implementation during a House committee hearing last Wednesday, 19 March.

To prevent future irregularities, DepEd said it is implementing stricter measures and enhanced validation protocols.

The verification process now involves multiple layers, beginning with cross-checking data between the Voucher Management System and the Learner Information System to ensure that learners listed in the billing statements are genuinely enrolled in the school.

The second level of validation is conducted at the central office, where discrepancies between billing statements and Learner Information System records are flagged. If inconsistencies are found, payments to schools are withheld until the issues are resolved.

A post-billing monitoring process follows, conducted by the Private Education Assistance Committee, which oversees participating schools on the ground. The final layer of verification is DepEd’s post-validation review, ensuring all prior verification processes have been completed before payments are made.

DepEd said it has also engaged Regional and Schools Division Offices to conduct school inspections and submit detailed reports to the Central Office, a measure implemented in school year 2024-2025. Additionally, PEAC validation for the second semester is set to begin next month.

Monitoring has also been expanded, with the percentage of schools undergoing evaluation increasing from 10 percent to 20 percent, DepEd said.

Likewise, the department said it will upgrade the Learner Information System to include an audit trail to track all changes, automatic email alerts for data updates, and a system that maintains a complete learner history.

The agency is also reviewing proposals for the recognition of SHS private schools to further refine the program implementation.