A FORMER Education undersecretary is now facing allegations of corruption in relation the Department of Education’s school building program after a senior lawmaker revealed his involvement in a kickback scheme, soliciting commissions from members of the House of Representatives in exchange for approving school building projects in their districts.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Thursday accused former DepEd Usec. Epimaco Densing III of allegedly asking lawmakers for kickbacks as much as 18% of the contract price of school building projects in their respective districts when he was appointed as USec in charge of the construction of school buildings.
Densing vehemently denied the allegations made by Pimentel.
“Well first of all it’s a blatant lie asking for commission. It is the very reason I’m process-oriented,” Densing said.
The explosive revelations came to light as Pimentel recounted a conversation he had with an individual named Greg Morillo, who allegedly acted as an intermediary for Densing, who is now in the private sector.
“Right there and then, I already knew na si Mr. Densing manghihingi ng commission,” Pimentel stated, implying that Densing had demanded a bribe in exchange for the release of funds already allocated for school building projects in Surigao del Sur.
“Dapat huwag ka nang bumalik sa gobyerno. The government does not need your kind. You are a very corrupt person making your position to your advantage,” he added.
According to Pimentel, despite the allocation of P170 million for school buildings in his district, the bidding process for these projects was abruptly halted after he refused to comply with Densing’s alleged request for a commission.
“Lo and behold, the funds did not come through, kinansel yung bidding,” Pimentel said, asserting that Densing’s actions directly affected the completion of much-needed infrastructure in his district.
Pimentel also claimed that Densing had approached multiple lawmakers, offering school building allocations in exchange for a percentage of the project’s budget.
“Marami ring congressman ang nagsabi sa akin na you approached them,” Pimentel revealed.
He added that Densing had allegedly asked one congressman from the Visayas for an 18% commission on school building funds.
The allegations extend further, with Pimentel accusing Densing of meeting with several congressmen in Manila, accompanied by a contractor named Architect Ralph Tecson.
“You talked to them, may kasama ka pang kontraktor,” Pimentel said. He suggested that Densing was not only demanding commissions but was also directing contractors to lawmakers.
In response, Densing denied the accusations, calling them “a blatant lie” and asserting his commitment to a transparent, process-oriented approach in his role.
However, Pimentel was quick to dismiss Densing’s claims, openly calling him a liar.
“You are lying Mr. Densing! And I can cite you for contempt!” Pimentel retorted during the heated exchange.
The House hearing was eventually suspended, but Pimentel vowed to continue gathering evidence against Densing, indicating that the matter was far from over.
“What I will do is gather more evidence to prove that what I am saying is true, that Mr. Epimaco Densing is a very corrupt person,” he declared, promising to expose more details in the next hearing.
One of the most damning accusations against Densing was his alleged manipulation of the DepEd budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
Pimentel questioned why funds for school buildings in Surigao del Sur were suddenly cut, despite being included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Pimentel accused Densing of making these budget cuts without notifying the affected lawmakers, a move that further fueled suspicions of corruption.
“That is the reason why tinanggal si Mr. Densing sa DepEd. He did not resign,” Pimentel asserted, claiming that Densing was forced out due to his involvement in corrupt practices related to the school building program.
