Former Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado has refuted Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims that she was dismissed from the Department of Education (DepEd) for soliciting funds from private companies, clarifying that the issue pertained to an official government program.
Mercado explained during a House committee hearing that the alleged P16 million solicitation involved a system intended to facilitate communication between Duterte and teachers across the country.
She stated that the program, known as DepEd-Guro, was developed with external consultants and that it was the DepEd’s external partnership office that approached potential funding partners, not her personally.
Mercado also revealed that envelopes allegedly containing money from Duterte were given to her, but she asserted that no cash was involved in the program and emphasized that the two companies involved are willing to provide affidavits confirming that no solicitation occurred.
Despite Duterte labeling Mercado as a “disgruntled” former official, Mercado maintains that she did not solicit funds and that her dismissal stemmed from raising concerns about procurement processes within the agency.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 26, 2024
