Department of Education facade. | PHOTO: Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is planning to revive its anti-corruption committees under the helm of Vice President Sara Duterte, who also sits as the agency’s chief.
During the Senate committee on basic education hearing on Friday, Senator Robin Padilla asked DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III about the continuity of the anti-corruption committees.
“Noong nakaraang administrasyon, nagtayo po ng anti-corruption committees ang DepEd. Kumusta po ito? Ito po ba ay ipagpapatuloy pa rin? Ito po ba’y nandyan pa?” Padilla quizzed Densing.
(In the past administration, DepEd formed anti-corruption committees. How is this? Will this be continued? Is it still there?)
The undersecretary replied: “Balak po naming i-revive ito at paigtingin para masabi natin sa kabuuang burukrasya ng DepEd na malinaw sa amin na hindi namin papayagan ang ano mang korapsyon sa DepEd.”
(We plan to revive and strengthen it to tell the bureaucracy that we would not allow any corruption.)
Densing, an officer of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Bantay Korapsyon, boasted that several erring officials were held accountable under his watch.
He wants to pursue anti-corruption efforts in the education agency.
“Ang aking karanasan sa anti-corruption ay malalim po dahil ako po’y naging supervising officer ng Bantay Korapsyon ng DILG kung saan marami kaming kinasuhang mga mayors at mga empleyado ng lokal na gobyerno sa Ombudsman,” said Densing.
(It was during my supervision of DILG’s Bantay Korapsyon that I developed experience with anti-corruption. As a result, many municipal employees and mayors were prosecuted and convicted.)
“Balak namin ipagpatuloy ito para malinaw ang mensahe na hindi pwedeng magnakaw, magkorapsyon, at gumawa ng pera gamit ang pondo ng DepEd,” he continued.
(We want to pursue this, so the message is clear: stealing, corruption, and using DepEd’s funds are prohibited.)
Currently, DepEd is facing scrutiny after the Commission on Audit flagged it for purchasing expensive yet outdated laptops for teachers through the Department of Budget and Management – Procurement Service.
The Senate is set to investigate the matter on August 25.