Inakusahan ni dating Education Undersecretary Gloria Mercado si Vice President Sara Duterte na nagbibigay ng P50,000 sa kanyang mga undersecretaries and assistant secretaries kada buwan.
Sa imbestigasyon ng House Committee on Good Government and Accountability inihayag ni Mercado dating namumuno sa Procuring Entity (HoPE) ng DepEd na sa pagitan ng Pebrero 2023 hanggang Setyembre 2023 ay nakatanggap ito ng kabuuang 9 na sobre na may nakalagay na HoPE na siya nyang posisyon.
“These envelopes were handed to me monthly by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda who came directly from the office of Vice President Sara Duterte. Ang sabi galing kay VP. 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,” pahayag ni Mercado.
“My office confirmed that it was upon the instruction of the Office of the Secretary. Evidently, it would appear that regional directors and other employees on the field would also receive sums on top of their regular salaries,” dagdag pa nito.
Sa pagtatanong ni Batangas Rep Gerville Luistro kung maituturing na suhol ang nasabing sobre, sinabi ni Mercado na masyadong “harsh” na salita ang suhol.
Kung ang pera ay para maimpluwensiyahan siya sa HoPE, sinabi ni Mercado na posible ito.
Inamin ni Mercado na pinagresign sya sa Deped dahil sa pagtanggi nito sa negotiated procurement para sa Deped Computerization progam, aniya, partikular na tinututulan nya ang naging suhestiyon ni dating Education Assistant Secretary Reynold Munsayac na ang bidders na ang syang mag-usap usap ukol sa bidding.
“Sometime in October 2023, as the likelihood of a bidding failure for DepEd computerization had become apparent, I was approached, sorry, by Attorney Munsayac and he suggested in the presence of other officials who were with me that the bidders should just discuss among themselves. Mag-usap usap na lang para hindi masayang ang pera ng 2023″ paliwanag ni Mercado.
“I firmly asserted that the procurement must be implemented and conducted in strict adherence to the rules. Sometime in the 3rd or 4th week of October, I was summoned by Ms. Zuleika Lopez, the chief-of-staff to the Vice President and Undersecretary of the OVP. I was informed that I should tender my resignation effective that day,” dagdag pa nito.
“I refused to resign and insisted on departing from the service through voluntary retirement,” pahayag pa ni Mercado.
Kinumpirma ni Mercado na hindi lamang siya ang pinagbitiw sa DepEd kundi mayroon pang ibang mga opisyal.
“There were other undersecretaries and assistant secretaries who were also summoned, all with the same purpose of informing them that they should tender their resignation effective on the same day,” pag-amin pa nito.
Sa panig ni DepEd Director Ferdinand Pitagan, sinabi nito na P2.18 billion sa P11.36-billion fund lamang ang nailaan para sa computers, laptops at smart television sets.
Sa panig ni VP Sara tinawag nito na”disgruntled former employee” si Mercado.
“I think hindi niya matanggap bakit siya pinalayas sa DepEd” pahayag ni VP Sara. Gail Mendoza
