Students walk inside the campus of a high school in Quezon City, April 18, 2024. — REUTERSTHE House of Representatives should launch a probe into the alleged “ghost beneficiaries” plaguing the Education department’s voucher program, a congressman said on Thursday.
The House good government and basic education committees should immediately launch an investigation into the listing of non-existent students in the voucher program to preserve its integrity and prevent further corruption, Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo D. Bongalon said in a statement.
The House basic education panel would take up the matter in its “next meeting,” Pasig Rep. Roman T. Romulo, who heads the committee, told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.
“I’ll ask the committee to ask permission from Committee on Rules for Wednesday or Thursday.”
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment. He has said in previous reports that the Department of Education (DepEd) could impose validation mechanisms to prevent voucher scams from happening again.
DepEd’s voucher program aims to subsidize the education of senior high school students (SHS) enrolled in private schools.
Mr. Angara in mid-February raised concerns about the prevalence of “ghost students” after his agency halted the release of almost P52 million worth of subsidies to at least 12 schools nationwide for the school year 2023-2024.
Mr. Bongalon said the program’s “phantom beneficiaries” have siphoned millions from DepEd’s budget and undermined its intent of decongesting public schools.
“How long has this ghosting scheme been going on, and why does it seem like it has just been allowed to continue,” he said. “We need to identify where the loopholes are and who should be held accountable.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
