A Regional Trial Court (RTC) in the National Capital Region (NCR) has convicted an individual for attempting to defraud the government’s voucher program, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said on Wednesday.

“While we respect due process, this ruling sends an unmistakable signal: we will not tolerate anyone cheating our public system,” Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a news release.

“Every peso for education must be allocated to real students,” he added in Filipino.

The RTC decision was issued on Tuesday after the accused submitted falsified billing statements to defraud the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP), a subsidy program meant to widen access to private senior high school education for eligible learners.

While the ruling is subject to appeal, the penalties for the conviction include imprisonment of up to 14 years, eight months, and two days, and a fine of P100,000 for the two counts of the offense for which the accused was convicted.

“The Senior High School Voucher Program was built to give students opportunities, not to line the pockets of fraudsters,” Mr. Angara said, noting that others who seek to “exploit” the voucher or other education assistance programs will face legal consequences.

The SHS-VP is a government assistance program that provides tuition subsidies to eligible Grade 11 learners enrolled in participating private institutions. The subsidy covers two consecutive years of senior high school, helping students gain broader access to education.

Lawmakers are currently proposing an expansion of the voucher assistance program from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to give more students access to private schools and decongest public schools nationwide.

The proposed Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act was approved in the bicameral conference committee in June. It will be submitted to both the House and the Senate for ratification before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs it into law. — Almira Louise S. Martinez