Alleged ‘envelopes’ from Duterte may have aimed to influence ex-DepEd Usec

Former Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado. Photo from the House of Representatives of the Philippines’ Facebook page.

MANILA, Philippines — Envelopes containing money supposedly from Vice President Sara Duterte may have been intended to influence former Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado, who previously headed the Department of Education’s procurement division.

At the hearing of the House of Representatives committee on good government and public accountability on Wednesday, Mercado was asked by Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro if she felt the money was meant for her to act in favor of the past DepEd administration.

This question from Luistro came after Mercado claimed in her sworn affidavit that there were envelopes handed to her by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda.  Mercado said in her testimony that Fajarda claimed it came directly from Duterte.

“You did not open the envelope because you felt so uncomfortable, do you confirm? […] And the reason, Ma’am, is because you believe that that envelope is a bribe?  Do you agree with me, because otherwise, you will not appreciate the job as difficult, you will not [feel] uncomfortable opening what you believe is an allowance,” Luistro said.

“It’s kind of a harsh word to use, bribe,” Mercado said.

“Or should I say it is a means to influence your decision being the HOPE (head of procuring entity)?” Luistro asked.

“It could be […] it could be,” Mercado replied.

During the hearing, Mercado testified that she was designated in February 2023 as head of the Procuring Entity of DepEd, signing checks related to funds, which at one point, amounted to P37.5 million.

However, since her designation as HOPE, Mercado said that envelopes were handed to her by Assistant Secretary Fajarda.

“Between February of 2023 to September 2023, I received a total of nine envelopes labeled HOPE, my current position at DepEd during that time.  These envelopes were handed to me mostly by Assistant Secretary  Sunshine M. Fajarda, which she says came directly from Vice President Duterte,” Mercado said.

“What she would typically say, as she hands the envelope, it would appear that I received this envelope by virtue of my office as HOPE. Atty. Fajarda is the wife of Edward Fajarda, who is the Special Disbursement Office,” she added.

Aside from this, Mercado said Duterte’s chief-of-staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), asked her to resign from office after she raised several concerns regarding the procurement for the agency’s computerization program.

Mercado said this request from Lopez came after she opposed suggestions from former Education Assistant Secretary Reynold Munsayac that bidders in the computerization program should just “discuss among themselves” the fate of the bidding.

Furthermore, Mercado said other DepEd officials were asked to resign too.

Mercado has not clarified why Munsayac asked bidders to discuss the bidding process among themselves, but the computerization program was a topic raised by lawmakers during DepEd’s proposed 2025 budget deliberations at the House committee on appropriations.

READ: VP Duterte’s chief of staff allegedly asked DepEd exec to resign 

Last September 2, solons called out the department’s past administration for its inability to deliver laptops and other technical equipment in 2023, resulting in its budget’s low utilization.

It was also Luistro who asked department officials if a Commission on Audit report about low budget utilization was correct, particularly about the DepEd Computerization Program.

In response, DepEd Director Ferdinand Pitagan confirmed that only P2.18 billion out of P11.36 billion funds for computers, laptops, and smart television sets — items crucial for e-learning — were spent.

INQUIRER.net has asked the OVP for comment on these revelations from Mercado, but the office has not issued any response as of this posting time.