Senate to probe ‘sagot for sale’ if it reaches ‘wholesale scale’– Binay

MANILA, Philippines — The investigation into the “sagot for sale” (answers for sale) issue will only merit a Senate probe if the Department of Education (DepEd) confirmed its gathered reports that the scheme also involved those in the institutional level, Senator Nancy Binay said on Saturday.

“Siguro (I think), it may only merit a Senate probe if the reports DepEd gathered confirm that it has reached wholesale scale and to an institutional level,” Binay said in a text message sent to reporters.

It was during a Senate hearing when the “sagot for sale” scheme, where parents supposedly pay others to answer their children’s distance learning modules was bared.

This, after the DepEd reported that 99 percent of students passed during the first quarter of the school year while on distance learning.

Binay added that it’s best to wait for the DepEd’s investigation on the matter.

“Pero let’s wait first for their investigation, and perhaps we can ask them of the outcome of their inquiry, and their recommended action,” she added.

DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio later said that the agency will investigate the scheme, saying that tolerating cheating will not be beneficial to students in the long run.

Binay, meanwhile, said senators are “confident” that the DepEd will handle the issue “without dragging the entire department.”

“Sa ngayon, di rin tayo sigurado kung systemic ito (For now, we are not sure if this is systemic), or highly organized in the school level or district level, which we really doubt,” she said.

“Our teachers value honesty and integrity and they will never allow such kind of cheating to happen,” she added.

/MUF