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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
SA gitna ng mga panawagan magbitiw sa pwesto ang pangalawang pangulo bunsod ng kawalang respeto sa Kongreso, isang dating opisyal ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang lumutang sa Kamara para patotohanan ang alegasyon ng korapsyon laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte na noo’y Kalihim ng nasabing ahensya.
Pag-amin ni retired DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado — isang 40-year career official sa pagdinig ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, may ibinibigay na buwanang “envelope” si VP Sara sa mga opisyal ng kagawaran sa panahong pinamumunuan ang ahensya.
Bilang patunay, inilabas ni Mercado ang siyam na envelope na patunay na nagsisinungaling ang bise-presidente na una nang itinanggi ang pamumudmod ng salapi sa mga opisyales ng kagawaran kada buwan – bukod pa sa sweldong aniya’y katumbas ng pagtatrabaho sa kagawaran.
“Between February 2023 and September 2023, I received a total of nine envelopes labeled ‘HOPE’, my concurrent position in DepEd during that time. These envelopes were handed to me monthly by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda, which she says came directly from the office of Vice President Sara Duterte,” ani Mercado.
“Galing kay VP, is what she would typically say as she hands the envelopes. It would appear that I received these envelopes by virtue of my office as HoPE. Atty. Sunshine Fajarda is the wife of Edward D. Fajarda who is the Special Disbursement Officer,” aniya pa.
Ayon kay Mercado, ang buwanang sobre aniya’y naglalayon impluwensyahan ang kanyang tanggapan sa mga transaksyon ng kagaran – bagay na aniya’y kanyang pinahindian – dahilan para siya’y ipatawag ni Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez na noo’y tumatayong chief-of-staff ng DepEd Secretary.
Doon na aniya siya sinabihan na mag-resign ora mismo sa bisa ng voluntary retirement.
Ilang linggo bago siya kinausap ni Lopez, isa pang former DepEd official na si Atty. Reynold Munsayac ang di umano’y lumapit sa kanya kaugnay ng DepEd Computerization Program, na nagkaroon ng failure of bidding.
“He suggested, in the presence of three other DepEd officials who I was with, that the bidders should discuss among themselves. “[Mag-usap usap na lang, para hindi masayang ang 2022 budget”, according to Atty. Munsayac. I firmly asserted that the procurement must be implemented and conducted in strict adherence with the rules,” salaysay ni Mercado sa komite.
“The timing of my meeting with Ms. Zuleika struck me as more than coincidental, it gave me the impression that my candid response to Atty. Munsayac’s suggestion was the real reason behind the push to relieve me of my office. It was as if l had become an unwelcome obstacle in the procurement process, despite simply doing my job as the Hope and undersecretary for Human Resources of DepEd,” dagdag ni Mercado.
Matapos na ipabatid ni House Deputy Majority Leader at TINGOG partylist Rep. Jude Acidre kay Mercado na nagpatawag ng pulong-balitaan si Duterte para itanggi ang pasabog sa Kamara.
Inakusahan din ni Duterte si Mercado ng pagso-solicit ng P16 milyon mula sa mga pribadong kumpanya – alegasyong nagtulak kay Mercado na ilabas mula sa kanyang bag at ibigay sa komite ang siyam na “envelopes” kung saan nakasulat ang HOPE at halaga ng perang laman ng sobre – P50,000 bawat isa.
“I don’t want to do this, but since siya na yung nagsabi, i-turn over ko na iyon envelopes. The envelopes where the money was… so it’s nine envelopes. It says HOPE and the amount is there. Kasi ang sakit naman nun, ordinaryo lang akong trabahante tapos inaano ka ng vice president… its very painful,” ang tugon ni Mercado kay Acidre at sa komite patungkol na rin sa nasabing presscon.
Mariing din itinanggi ni Mercado ang akusasyon sa kanya hinggil sa P16 million DepED Guru app program, na ang pagmamayabang pa ni Duterte ay maglalabas ng paper trail na magdidiin sa una.
“Walang cash po doon, equipment siya na itu-turn over sa DepEd. So, I feel very sad that up until now the VP has not been appraised as I explained it to her people, that we did not solicit. In fact, the two corporations are willing to give an affidavit that I have no solicitation from them of P16 million,” saad pa niya.
“It’s very painful. I’ve served the Republic for 40 long years, and then this happens,” himutok ni Mercado.
