DepEd Director Resty Osias (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Screenshot from Facebook live)

Another Department of Education (DepEd) official has corroborated the claim of retired DepEd undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado that former secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte handed out "cash envelopes" to certain officials of the agency. 

Admitting that he received such envelopes was DepEd director and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Resty Osias. 

Osias--during the interpellation of Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano--told the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Thursday afternoon, Oct. 17 that he received four envelopes containing P12,000 to P15,000 in cash on four separate occasions in 2023. 

“I must say, I did [receive cash envelopes]. [I] thought it was a common practice in the department. The very first time I encountered that matter was sometime in April of 2023,” Osias said. 

He claimed he received the envelopes from Vice President Duterte through former DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda from April to September 2023. 

“I didn’t know why I was summoned to the office of Asec Shine. And then, I was given an envelope. It was later on I found out there was money in it. It’s not because I was BAC member yet, because I wasn’t at that time,” Osias explained. 

Valeriano couldn't help but note that the cash envelopes for Osias stopped in September 2023, or around the same time that the Vice President's confidential funds were being questioned in the House of Representatives. 

“Mukhang sumakto. Sa panahon na ‘di na ginagamit ng DepEd ang confidential funds for the last quarter [of 2023] nang pumuputok na issue ng confidential funds,” Valeriano said. 

(It's like a coincidence. The DepEd stopped using its confidential funds for the last quarter of 2023 when the confidential funds issue broke out.) 

For his part, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. assured Osias that the House members weren't casting aspersions on him for his mere receipt of the envelopes. 

Vice President Duterte was the DepEd secretary from June 30, 2022 to July 19, 2024.  

BUT FIRST, READ THIS:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/25/ex-dep-ed-official-who-vents-on-vp-sara


In an earlier hearing of the committee on Sept. 25, Mercado told solons that she received from then-education chief Duterte monthly envelopes containing P50,000 each from February to September 2023.  

Mercado held the position of DepEd Head of Procuring Entity ("HoPE") at this time. 

Asked by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro if she felt that the envelopes were supposed to "influence" her decision given her position at the department, Mercado answered, "It could be."  

Mercado said she believed that other DepEd officials received similar envelopes.