Constantino shared concerning details regarding the huge and “unusual” cash withdrawals made by the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was its secretary. The alleged misuse of her CF under Article I of the Articles of Impeachment covers the alleged misapplication, irregularities, and misuse of P612.5 million in CF allocated to the Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and the DepEd (P112.5 million) during her tenure as its secretary.
Transactions of such magnitude do happen, but these are not the norm in banking, particularly for a government office. Constantino noted that any cash withdrawal exceeding half a million pesos would typically raise eyebrows.
Another LBP witness, former DepEd branch manager Nenita Camposano, gave the same description of the department’s P37.5 million encashment as “unusual” since this was the largest transaction by the agency during her time. The fact that the staggering amount was withdrawn entirely in cash raised red flags, especially since electronic transactions dominate due to their security and efficiency.
What makes this case disturbing is not just the size of the transactions involved but the lack of public knowledge of their purpose. While Constantino clarified that the bank did not pry into the nature of the withdrawals given that they were backed by official communication, this still calls for an examination of the system in place to govern such transactions.
We all know that mechanisms are in place to ensure every transaction is scrutinized. But as taxpayers, we should demand to know how our money is being spent, including any CF, regardless of the government office or political leader involved.
The legitimate need for the government to protect certain information should not come at the cost of accountability. Public trust is built on transparency. When large sums of money are handled without adequate oversight, the support of the very constituents that put the officials in office is lost.
Among the various charges in the impeachment trial, this one on the CF appears particularly challenging to defend. It will be interesting to see how the defense lawyers tackle this charge and explain the ridiculous aliases of some CF recipients like Mary Grace Piattos and Milky Secuya, as this seriously raises questions about the legitimacy of the transactions and whether the funds were used appropriately.
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