Eduard Fajarda--a former official of the Department of Education (DepEd)-turned-executive in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has practically admitted distributing cash to select education officials, allegedly under the direct orders of Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/26/sara-ovp-exec-admits-giving-envelopes-to-select-dep-ed-officials
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/26/sara-ovp-exec-admits-giving-envelopes-to-select-dep-ed-officials
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NewsTranscript
00:00How long have you been an SDO in DepEd? Or at least an employee in DepEd?
00:05I started in August 2022.
00:09Okay, so about two years as well, right?
00:12Yes.
00:13At that time, was there a chance that you reached out to the principals, superintendents, and regional directors,
00:21or the employees of DepEd to ask for their bank accounts to employ you?
00:28To the superintendent, Your Honor.
00:30Yes, that's the reason exactly why I'm asking, Mr. Chair,
00:34because there are photos spreading on social media involving exchanges between superintendents in Region 7.
00:43Can we request the secretariat to flash the messages?
00:48Secretariat?
00:49These messages mention the name Edward from the CO, which I think refers to a central office,
01:01or OSEC as I understand it.
01:05This is the office of the secretary. Can we ask the secretary to show it?
01:11There is one. Then the next.
01:14I will show you a number. I will bring it to you.
01:19Mr. Chair, with your permission, just for him to confirm.
01:43Mr. Chair, I have shown a number to Mr. Fajardo.
01:59He said that this is probably his number.
02:03Fajardo?
02:04Yes, Mr. Fajardo.
02:05That this number is his.
02:08Do you confirm, Mr. Fajardo?
02:12I confirm.
02:13Yes, okay.
02:14And because of these messages,
02:17Edward Fajardo, in the next screenshot, is asking for the bank account and bank details of the employees.
02:27Maybe the message is in Bisaya,
02:31but what I'm saying is, this is what I told you,
02:34the place is blurred, that someone will call you Edward,
02:38please give me your account number, that's legit.
02:41God bless.
02:43I'm showing you, also next,
02:47I'll also show you a screencap of the portion of the affidavit of former USEC Mercado,
02:52a former employee in the DepEd.
02:55I'll read it.
02:57Number five.
02:59Although the exact date evades recollection,
03:02sometime during the course of my tenure with the DepEd,
03:04a member of my staff informed me that an inquiry was made by one of our officers in the field,
03:10that Mr. Fajardo had made inquiries about the bank accounts of several individuals,
03:15and if divulging such information to Mr. Fajardo was permitted.
03:21My office confirmed that it was upon the instruction of the Office of the Secretary.
03:25Evidently, it would appear that regional directors and other employees on the field
03:31would also receive sums on top of the regular salaries.
03:34So Mr. Fajardo, why did you ask for their bank details?
03:41Mr. Chair, it is stated here that regional directors...
03:48But what you're saying is, who did you ask for?
03:50Superintendent.
03:52Whether superintendents or regional directors, why did you need to ask for personal bank details?
04:00Actually, I was instructed by VP Sara.
04:06Based on the instruction of VP Sara?
04:09Yes, Your Honor.
04:10Did you send money to these accounts?
04:14I sent some, but not all.
04:20Not all of the superintendents?
04:22Yes, Your Honor.
04:23How do you choose who to send and who not to send?
04:28As far as I know, those who gave account numbers,
04:32because during VP Sara's visit,
04:37you saw that the superintendents were spending their own money on their office fieldwork.
04:46But Mr. Fajardo, if you look at the screenshot,
04:50all the superintendents in Region 7 were contacted by you.
04:56Does this mean that all of them were given?
04:59Your Honor, actually, I don't know all of the superintendents.
05:02I'm not sure. I just know that not all of them.
05:06So, granted, based on what you replied,
05:11my question is, when you send money,
05:14do you use your personal account or the official account of Deped?
05:19I mean, their account number.
05:22Their account number.
05:24Where does the money come from that you send?
05:29VP Sara gives it to me.
05:32VP Sara herself, not through Attorney Sunshine?
05:35No, VP Sara. For that specific instruction.
05:40So, this is all about that.
05:42When we asked the superintendents and regional directors,
05:49we would expect that that would be the response,
05:53that not all of them, and not regular.
05:59Not all of them, because there are too many, and not regular.
06:04Okay. That's all, Mr. Chair.