MANILA - An alleged teachers' maternity leave scam does not exist, the Department of Education's office in Taguig-Pateros (DepEd-TAPAT) said this week.

Schools Division Superintendent Margarito Materum said in a letter to DepEd National Capital Region Director Wilfredo Cabral that his office "cannot provide a proper reply for the reason that this issue arises from mere general accusations without any details to check its veracity."

The scam supposedly pertains to some teachers filing for maternity leave up to five times a year to avail of corresponding benefits.

In a message to ABS-CBN News, Cabral confirmed that the SDO (Schools Division Office) has been "tasked to internally examine records and to submit reports".

"This letter is with regard to the issue that is recently brought to the attention of DepEd-TAPAT namely an alleged Maternity Scam committed by a DepEd-TAPAT personnel," Materum said in his correspondence to Cabral dated Dec. 12.

"DepEd-TAPAT has no knowledge of the existence of any issue regarding the matter of concern... The undersigned is in good faith that this issue does not really exist," he added.

Earlier, Vice President and Education Sec. Sara Duterte said she will endorse the issue to the agency's legal division, which would conduct a probe.

Duterte urged DepEd personnel to report to their respective divisions if such incident occurs.

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