đź“·Vice President Sara Duterte
House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability eyes recommending filing a plunder case against Vice President Sara Duterte if she fails to explain the spending of the P112.5 million confidential fund of the Department of Education (DepEd).
In a statement on Sunday, October 27, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said it is important to know how the confidential funds of the Department of Education were spent in 2023.
“Pera ito ng taumbayan, at kailangan nating tiyakin na ito ay nagamit ng tama. Kung ang Bise Presidente, bilang pinuno ng DepEd noong panahong iyon, ay hindi makapagbigay ng malinaw at sapat na paliwanag kung paano ginamit ang perang ito, tungkulin namin na ituloy ang kinakailangang mga legal na hakbang, kabilang ang kasong plunder, upang maprotektahan ang interes ng publiko,” Gonzales said.
“Kung hindi maipaliwanag ang paggamit ng P112.5 million, we may have no choice but to consider recommending the filing of a plunder case,” Gonzales added.
During the October 17 hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, it was revealed that the questioned funds were withdrawn through three checks, each worth P37.5 million. The funds were released to the Department of Education (DepEd) Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda.
When questioned by Gonzales, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla confirmed that the checks were issued and encashed by Fajarda in accordance with the standard procedures for cash advances involving confidential funds.
Sevilla explained that her role as Undersecretary for Finance was limited to processing the disbursement of the funds and that she had no involvement in overseeing how the funds were ultimately spent.
Sevilla also confirmed that the checks were encashed at the Land Bank of the Philippines and that Fajarda was responsible for transporting the money.
Gonzales further questioned the logistics of handling such large sums of money, noting that Fajarda would have had to physically bring P37.5 million in cash on three separate occasions.
The House panel is also investigating the utilization of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President.
Duterte served as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) from July 2022 to July 2024. (TCSP)
