Security personnel at the Department of Education (DepEd) headquarters in Pasig City on March 19, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File  

Malacanang on Friday welcomed the announcement of the Department of Education that it has recovered P65 million from erring private schools on the Senior High School voucher program as it continues to probe the existence of alleged “ghost students.”

'Ghost students'? 55 schools removed from DepEd voucher program

Palace Press officer Claire Castro said allegations of ghost students began during the Duterte administration and the term of then Education Secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Yes, maganda pong balita ito, dapat nasama po ito sa good news. Dahil sa pamumuno po, tandaan po natin, ito’y nasa pamumuno na po ang DepEd ni Secretary Sonny Angara, na imbestigahan po ng mabuti iyong ghost students, iyong voucher program anomalies at ito po ay magreresulta ng 65 million mare-recover po natin," Castro said in a press briefing.

"Tandaan po natin itong mga ghost students na ito ay nagsimula noong 2021 to 2022 ah, 2022 to 2023. Ito po ay panahon ni dating Pangulong Duterte, at panahon noong naging DepEd secretary si VP Sara.”

The Commission on Audit earlier flagged alleged “ghost” or undocumented students as a possible “leakage” in the voucher program of the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE). 

Voucher program questioned due to alleged 'ghost students'

‘Defective’ DepEd program grants P8 billion education subsidies to non-poor students, says Sen. Gatchalian

It said there are students “whose absence cannot be satisfactorily explained by the school officials”, students under a specific school but who attend a different school or campus, or are “listed as enrolled but have not attended classes since the start of the semester.”

"With this result, we can now say that DepEd will not be put to dumpster," Castro said.