Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. and House Assistant Majority Leader Jil Bongalon on Thursday, Feb. 27 urged the House to conduct an inquiry into the alleged presence of "ghost beneficiaries" in the senior high school (SHS) voucher program of the Department of Education (DepEd), which allegedly started during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte and continued under the helm of former Education secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Bongalon's call for a motu proprio inquiry came as he cited reports that private schools have been listing non-existent students as early as 2016.

This has reporteldly led to the loss of millions worth of people's money as well as trust in the education system.

According to the lawmaker, the scheme appears to have started as early as 2016 under former president Duterte's administration and continued under the leadership of impeached Vice President Duterte, when she led DepEd from 2022 to 2024.

“Hindi biro ang pinag-uusapan dito—pondo ito ng bayan na dapat sana’y para sa edukasyon. Kung hahayaan lang nating tuluyang mamayagpag ang mga gumagawa ng katiwalian, sino pa ang sasandalan ng mga estudyanteng tunay na nangangailangan? (This is not just a small thing. We're already talking about the country's funds that should have been used for the education sector. If we will let those people involved in corruption have their way, who else would help the students in need?)” he said.

Bongalon said that under Vice President Duterte’s watch, concerns were raised that insufficient safeguards and lax oversight allowed the scam to persist.

"Ilang taon na pala ang ghosting modus na ito, pero bakit parang napabayaan na lang na magpatuloy? Kailangan nating silipin kung nasaan ang butas at sino ang dapat managot (This ghosting modus has persisted for many years, yet why it continues to happen? We need to look at it and pinpoint those who need to be made accountable)," he said, noting that continued inaction could undermine current efforts to strengthen the voucher program.

Although DepEd, under its new chief, Secretary Sonny Angara, already initiated an internal probe into 12 private schools for allegedly submitting bogus enrollees, Congress must conduct a parallel investigation to legislate measures that will prevent such schemes from recurring, said Bongalon.

The separate House inquiry will ensure accountability not only among school owners but also within DepEd, particularly with officials who may have overlooked or even facilitated the fraud, he added.

He explained that a congressional probe would complement DepEd's efforts, and allow the House committees to summon not only school administrators but also present and former DepEd officials.

Bongalon said the parallel investigations would ensure that all aspects of the controversy are examined, thus preventing any possible cover-up.

The SHS voucher program was established to decongest public schools by providing financial assistance to qualified students who chose to enroll in private senior high schools.

In principle, the program benefits both sectors: public schools gain relief from overcrowding, while private institutions receive students who bring in government subsidies, ideally improving their financial sustainability.