MANILA, Philippines — A former special disbursing officer (SDO) of the Department of Education (DepEd) has admitted to sending out cash to bank accounts of some superintendents of the agency pursuant to an order from Vice President Sara Duterte.
Edward Fajarda, who served as DepEd’s SDO under Duterte’s watch, made the revelation on Monday after he was questioned by House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
Specifically, Acidre asked him if he ever reached out to DepEd principals, regional, directors, or superintendents asking for the details of their bank accounts.
READ: More DepEd execs report ‘cash envelopes’ from Sara
“Superintendents po,” Fajarda said during the House committee on good government and public accountability’s seventh hearing on Monday. The panel is probing the alleged misuse of funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the DepEd under Duterte’s watch.
The lawmaker then presented screenshots of what appeared to be messages of Fajarda to superintendents based in Central Visayas telling them to give their personal bank accounts. Asked to confirm if the number sending out the messages was his, Fajarda told the committee “Yes.”
Apart from these, Acidre also showed the affidavit of former Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado corroborating these screenshots.
“Although the exact date evades recollection, sometime during the course of my tenure with the DepEd, a member of my staff informed me that an inquiry was made by one of our officers in the field that Mr. Fajarda had made inquiries about the bank accounts of several individuals, and if divulging such information to Mr. Fajarda was permitted,” part of Mercado’s affidavit read.
“My office confirmed that it was upon the instruction of the Office of the Secretary. Evidently, it would appear that Regional Directors and other employees on the field would also receive sums on top of their regular salaries,” it adds.
The lawmaker then asked why is he asking for their bank details.
“I was instructed by VP Sara […] I sent out to some but not to all [superintendent],” Fajarda said.
He explained that Duterte saw these superintendents using money from their own pockets while doing office fieldwork, which prompted them to send out cash.
Fajardo, however, did not disclose how much was given to these DepEd officials.
He also reiterated that not all were given, and the money transfer was not regular.