DepEd files charges vs 7 schools over P61.9M voucher program anomaly

The Department of Education (DepEd) has filed criminal charges against seven private schools for allegedly listing 'ghost students' as beneficiaries of the senior high school (SHS) voucher program.

The alleged anomaly involves a total of P61.9 million, with cases already filed with the fiscal's office and demand letters issued.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed these developments during a budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations.

He also mentioned that the DepEd's legal department has pending investigations into schools with similar cases.

Previously, DepEd announced the termination of 55 schools from the program due to various violations, including 'ghost students', affecting school years from 2021 to 2024.

A Senate hearing last year revealed that over 19,000 'ghost' or undocumented students were beneficiaries of the voucher program, according to 2016 and 2018 Commission on Audit (COA) reports.

In February, DepEd stated it was investigating 12 private schools for similar issues.