Rep Jil Bongalon calls for inquiry into DepEd SHS voucher program fraud

On Thursday, February 27, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative and House Assistant Majority Leader Jil Bongalon called for a joint motu proprio inquiry into allegations of 'ghost beneficiaries' in the Department of Education's (DepEd) Senior High School (SHS) voucher program.

Bongalon cited reports that private schools have been listing non-existent students since 2016 to avail of government funds, leading to millions of pesos being lost and undermining public trust in the education system.

The potential amount of government money lost to fraud is at P52 million from School Year 2023 to 2024 alone, with DepEd revealing ghost beneficiaries in 12 private schools across nine regions through submission of bogus enrollees lists.

DepEd has initiated an internal probe into the matter, but Bongalon emphasized that a parallel legislative investigation is necessary to establish preventive measures and ensure accountability for both DepEd officials and school owners.

The SHS voucher program aims to provide financial assistance to eligible students enrolling in private or non-DepEd schools and ease overcrowding in public schools, but Bongalon stressed the need for a thorough legislative investigation to prevent further misallocation of funds.