KINUMPIRMA ng isang opisyal ng Department of Education (DepEd) na siya ay nakatanggap ng mga envelope na may lamang pera mula kay Vice President Sara Duterte noong ito ang kalihim ng Department of Education (DepEd).

Sinabi ni DepEd director at dating Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Resty Osias sa pagdinig ng House committee on good government and public accountability na apat na envelope ang natanggap nito noong 2023 at ang laman ay P12,000 hanggang P15,000.

“I must say, I did. Thought it was a common practice in the department. The very first time I encountered that matter was sometime in April of 2023,” ani Osias.

Sa pagtatanong ni Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, sinabi ni Osias na nakatanggap ito ng sobre mula Abril 2023 hanggang Setyembre 2023 at ibinigay ito ni dating DepEd assistant secretary Sunshine Fajarda.

“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,” paliwanag ni Osias.

Sa naunang pagdinig ng komite, sinabi ni DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado na siyam na envelope ang kanyang natanggap mula kay VP Duterte at bawat isa ay naglalaman ng P50,000.

Natanggap niya ito noong siya ang Head of Procurement Entity (HOPE) ng DepEd, kaya umugong ang espekulasyon na ito ay suhol.

Ipinunto naman ni Valeriano na huminto ang pagbibigay ng envelope kay Osias noong Setyembre 2023 kung kailan tumigil na rin si VP Duterte sa paggamit ng kanyang confidential funds.

“Mukang sumakto. Sa panahon na ‘di na ginagamit ng DepEd ang confidential funds for the last quarter nang pumuputok na issue ng confidential funds,” punto ni Valeriano.