SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has commended the Department of Education for recovering P65 million from 54 private schools that made questionable claims under the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program.

However, he stressed that the refund is not enough and called for stricter oversight to prevent future anomalies.

“Mabuti na naibalik ang P65 milyon, pero paano ito nangyari sa una? Hindi sapat ang refund lang—kailangang may pananagutan at reporma para hindi na ito maulit,” Pimentel said.

The SHS Voucher Program, designed to subsidize students in private schools, has been flagged for possible misuse, with some institutions allegedly claiming funds for non-existent enrollees.

While DepEd’s action is a positive step, Pimentel warned that it highlights a deeper problem of weak monitoring and accountability.

He also questioned why the program’s budget soared to P39.3 billion in 2023 from P16.5 billion the previous year, even as the number of beneficiaries decreased.

Pimentel emphasized that every peso in the education budget should go directly to students.

“Ito ay investment para sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa,” he said.