HOUSE Assistant Majority Leader Jil Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list on Thursday urged the House Committees on Basic Education and Culture and on Good Government and Public Accountability to conduct a joint motu proprio inquiry into the alleged presence of “ghost beneficiaries” in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Senior High School (SHS) voucher program.
Citing reports that private schools have been listing non-existent students as early as 2016, Bongalon emphasized the need for swift congressional action to preserve the program’s credibility.
“Hindi lang pera ng bayan ang nawawala, pati tiwala ng mga tao sa ating sistema ng edukasyon ay nasisira,” Bongalon said.
Preliminary findings suggest that these phantom beneficiaries have siphoned millions from the education budget, undermining the SHS voucher program’s original purpose of decongesting public schools and supporting legitimate learners.
Bongalon pointed out that the scheme appears to have started as early as 2016 under former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s administration and continued under the leadership of former DepEd Secretary and current Vice President Sara Duterte.
Under Vice President Duterte’s watch, concerns were raised that insufficient safeguards and lax oversight allowed the scam to persist, with critics arguing that her perceived inaction during this period may have enabled unscrupulous individuals to manipulate the system.
“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,” the lawmaker stressed, noting that continued inaction could undermine current efforts to strengthen the voucher program.
Bongalon acknowledged that while DepEd, under Secretary Sonny Angara, has already initiated an internal probe into 12 private schools across nine divisions for allegedly submitting bogus enrollees—potentially defrauding the government of over ₱52 million during the 2023–2024 school year—Congress must conduct a parallel investigation to legislate measures that will prevent such schemes from recurring.
While commending Angara’s firm resolve in tackling the issue, Bongalon underscored the need for a separate House inquiry to ensure accountability not only among school owners but also within DepEd, particularly among officials who may have overlooked or even facilitated the fraud.
He explained that a congressional probe would complement DepEd’s efforts, allowing the House committees to summon not only school administrators but also present and former DepEd officials.
He expressed confidence that parallel investigations would ensure all aspects of the controversy are examined, preventing any possible cover-up.
“Mas mabuti kung may masusing imbestigasyon mula sa lehislatura para malaman natin ang lahat ng anggulo, pati na rin ang role ng mga opisyal na dapat sana’y nagbabantay sa programang ito,” Bongalon said, adding, “Kapag sabay-sabay ang aksyon ng DepEd at Kongreso, walang lusot ang mga mandaraya.”
Established to decongest public schools and expand educational opportunities, the SHS voucher program provides financial assistance to qualified students who opt to enroll in private senior high schools.
In principle, this system benefits both sectors: public schools gain relief from overcrowding, while private institutions receive students who bring government subsidies, ideally improving their financial sustainability.
Many parents support the program because it offers better teacher-student ratios and specialized tracks aligned with their children’s career goals.
However, Bongalon stressed that the voucher system requires strict oversight to ensure that every beneficiary is a legitimate student enrolled in an actual academic program.
Fraudulent entries, he warned, distort data and misallocate funds that should rightfully go to deserving learners.
“Ang SHS voucher program ay magandang programa, pero kung madaraya ito, nasasayang ang budget,” Bongalon said, emphasizing that any flaw in its implementation effectively robs qualified students of their educational opportunities.
Beyond the SHS voucher anomalies, Bongalon pointed out that a broader pattern of “ghosting” under the Duterte administration is emerging.
“Remember retired police officer Arturo Lascañas’ testimony in 2017, where he revealed that funds for supposed ‘ghost employees’ in Davao City—during Rodrigo Duterte’s mayoral tenure—were used for clandestine operations? Aba, di pa man uso ang terminong ‘ghosting,’ mukhang may mahilig na gawin ito,” Bongalon remarked.
“Mukhang pareho lang ang modus, lumilipat lang sa ibang opisina. Noon ghost employees, ngayon ghost students. Dapat imbestigahan kung totoo bang may pattern,” he added.
Bongalon expressed hope that a parallel House inquiry would ensure a thorough review of the “ghost beneficiaries” scandal, including an in-depth investigation into potential negligence under former Education Secretary Duterte’s tenure.
“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?” Bongalon asked.
