DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan (Screenshot from Facebook live)

Another ranking official of the Department of Education (DepEd) has corroborated the allegation that “cash envelopes” were being handed out to certain people within the agency during the tetenure of Vice President Sara Duterte as secretary.

The latest revelation was made by DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan during the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

According to Catalan, she received nine envelopes containing a “minimal amount” of P25,000 cash each.

The official revealed that she received the amount over a nine-month period, from February to September 2023.

Catalan said these envelopes—described to her as “allowances”—were personally handed to her by then-DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, a trusted aide of Duterte within the department.

“The first time I received it, I asked Asec. Shine, ma’am is it part of the confidential funds? Sabi niya (She said), no. It was just an allowance from the Vice President. So, for me, honestly, I received it knowing that it was not part of the confidential funds,” Catalan said.

Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop, a vice chairperson of the panel, quizzed Catalan over the funding source for these supposed allowances.

However, the official told Acop that she “didn’t had the courage to ask” about the source.

Catalan, who ha been with DepEd for 36 years, shared that this was the first time she hahad received such envelopes.

She explained that Fajarda made her understand that the cash envelopes wwere sourced from the “personal money” of the Vice President. She noted that Duterte can afford such “gifts” given her high salary as the country’s second higheshighest official.

‘Subtle bribery’

Catalan also admitted in Tuesday’s hearing that she was “requested” by Fajarda to sign the liquidation vouchers for the P112.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs). These were withdrawn as cash advances by Fajarda’s husband, Edward, who was a former special disbursing officer (SDO) at DepEd.

The funds were reportedly withdrawn through three separate checks--each valued at P37.5 million--that were issued to then-SDO Fajarda.

These cash advances were found to have been made in the first three quarters of 2023 when Vice President Duterte was leading the DepEd.

This revelation caught the attention of Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, who wondered why was Catalan requested to sign the vouchers.

“So why did you sign it? As per request of Ms. Fajarda?” asked Paduano.

“Yes, Your Honor, because it is needed as a covering letter or covering document to the liquidation documents, supporting documents,” explained Catalan.

During his interpellation, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante raised the possibility that Catalan was pressured to sign the documents.

“You received nine envelopes, is that not a form of pressure?” asked Abante, a vice chairperson in the panel.

“I was requested, Sir, in a nice way,” Catalan replied, maintaining that there was no coercion.

Abante, however, was unconvinced by this assertion as he stressed that the cash envelopes were “subtle bribery” and meant to pressure her into complying.

“I do not think that you are going to receive envelopes from the same person that requested you without you realizing the pressure of signing,” the veteran lawmaker said.

“The nine envelopes you received are a form of pressure on the part of the same person that asked you to sign. Am I right?” he reiterated.

Catalan hesitantly replied, “Maybe, your honor”.

According to her, the cash envelopes she received were merely a “form of gratitude” from Duterte—over her performance in the department.

“So, I don’t consider it a form of bribery,” the DepEd official stressed.

Fourth to receive cash envelopes

Assistant Secretary Fajarda was named in the previous testimony of former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado, who earlier told the panel that she had received regular cash payments from Duterte.

Unlike Catalan’s supposed allowance, the cash given to Mercado was allegedly intended to influence her role as the DepEd’s Head of the Procuring Entity (HoPE), at least based on the solons' appreciation of the matter.

Fajarda was also mentioned in the testimony of DepEd director and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Resty Osias, who admitted that he thought the provision of cash payments was a “common practice”.

Former DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa has also earlier admitted to have “occasionally” received envelopes with cash from the Vice President.

When asked by lawmakers if she knew of other officials who were also given cash envelopes, Catalan acknowledged that she’s probably not the only one who were given such.

“I din’t bother looking if there’s anyone else,” she added.