MANILA, Philippines — A third Department of Education official has admitted to receiving cash envelopes totaling P225,000 during Vice President Sara Duterte's term as education secretary.
DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan said on Tuesday, November 5, that former DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda had given her cash envelopes of P25,000 nine times from February to December 2023.
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She divulged this during the House good governance committee’s hearing into DepEd’s and the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) alleged misuse of public funds — specifically the confidential funds.
Catalan received cash envelopes from Fajarda the same number of times and during the same period as former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Mercado. However, Mercado received P50,000 in each envelope.
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Meanwhile, former DepEd Bids and Awards Committee Chairperson Resty Osias was the second high-ranking official of the agency who disclosed to the House committee that he had received cash envelopes from Fajarda.
For Osias, the envelopes amounted to P12,000 to P15,000 each.
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Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District), who chairs the House good governance committee, pressed Catalan on these cash envelopes.
“Aside from your allowance from [DepEd’s] regular budget, do you also receive an envelope like Usec. Mercado and Director Osias from Asec. Fajarda?” the lawmaker asked in a mix of English and Filipino.
“Yes, Sir. Only a minimal amount,” she responded.
Catalan looked hesitant to answer when she confessed how much she received for each envelope.
“It’s not even… It’s P25,000,” she said after she let out a small laugh out of nervousness in between.
Chua asked how many times she received an envelope, to which she answered surely that it was around nine.
However, there was a hint of doubt when the lawmaker asked if the period was from February to September 2023.
“Let me guess, from February to September?” Chua clarified.
“I think so, Sir,” Catalan answered.
“And in September, you stopped [receiving], just like Usec. Mercado?” Chua asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” she said.
‘Just an allowance’
When Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) asked Catalan if she thought that the cash envelopes signified a form of pressure from Fajarda to sign the liquidation report of the questionable P112.5 million confidential and intelligence funds, she said she was unsure.
The P112.5 million in cash advances from confidential and intelligence funds were issued in three checks of P37.5 million each, which were withdrawn by Fajarda’s husband, Edward, acting as Duterte’s DepEd special disbursing officer.
She repeatedly told the lawmaker that it “may be” a form of pressure and never gave a firm answer, adding that she felt nervous to respond to Abante’s yes-or-no question.
For Catalan, the cash envelopes were “just an allowance” from the vice president because that was the explanation provided to her by Fajarda.
“The first time I received it, I honestly asked Asec. Shine, ‘Is it part of the confidential funds?’ She said ‘No, it’s just an allowance from the vice president.’ So, for me, I just accepted it,” Catalan said.
However, Abante caught her off guard when he questioned whether those cash envelopes were liquidated or recorded if they were truly allowances.
Catalan said she only “trusted Fajarda’s word” that it was only an allowance from Duterte.
From VP Sara’s personal money. The DepEd chief accountant also said she believes the P25,000 cash envelopes came from the vice president’s own pocket and a “form of gratitude.”
She added that she believes Duterte earns enough money as a vice president to be able to provide these personal allowances.
Why asked if it was from the confidential funds
Another lawmaker, Rep. Zia Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District), questioned why the accountant wondered why the cash envelopes may have been sourced from the confidential funds.
Catalan was not direct, but the lawmaker had her recall when the agency’s confidential fund was first issued, which was in February 2023 — the same time she and other DepEd execs received cash envelopes.
It was the questioning of Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District) that revealed how Catalan perceives the confidential funds.
“Because I’ve heard that when it is about confidential funds, there are issues,” the chief accountant said.
She added that she believes there is “no issue” with receiving cash from the vice president’s personal money.
Luistro reminded Catalan that receiving money or gifts from the government already violates the law, particularly the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Presidential Decree 46.
The House good governance panel is also investigating the alleged misappropriated confidential funds spent for DepEd’s “youth leadership summits” which were spearheaded by the Philippine Army.