• Publication : Business Mirror • Section : 2nd Front Page

• Date : Friday, October 21, 2022 • Page : A-18 ( 1/1 )

• AVE : PHP40,127.75

At 5th hearing on laptops of teachers,

Blue Ribbon chief detects conspiracy
B y C i .AUDETH S. M o CO N -C i RIACO @claudethmc3 Tolentino also described the is­ DepEd’s finance department was
suance of a MOA as “complicated,” unaware of the “updates” on the
having been issued in February, 2021 MOA, adding they were “not

S
ENATE Blue Ribbon but it turned out that it was not
yet finished until May.
part of the documentary require­
ments” of the project. Pimentel
committee chairman Sen. “Hopefully, we will have the
implementation and hopefully we
urged Sevilla and other resource
persons to include their justifica­
Francis N. Tolentino on will finish today. To all my friends
who willbeaffectedbythe outcome
tions in writing the report that they
will submit to the committee.
Thursday said that he sees a of this investigation, what the evi­
dence says will be enforced by this
The investigation was prompt­
ed by Senate Resolution No. 120
“conspiracy” in the P2.4-billion committee,” Tolentino said.
During the hearing - likely the
(Alleged overpriced and outdated
laptops procured by the DepEd
procurement of laptops flagged last— Minority Leader Aquilino
“Koko” Pimentel III bore down on
through the PS-DBM) and Senate
Resolution No. 134 (Procurement
by the Commission on Audit the testimonies of resource persons
who denied personal knowledge on
by the DepEd through the PS-DBM
of laptops for the teachers’ distance
(COA) as “overpriced” and important details of a MOA despite
being shown their online messages
learning program).
Meanwhile, a test was also
“outdated” to one another.
Attending the committee’s fifth
conducted during the hearing to
determine the speed of the lap­
hearing, Pimentel asked DepEd Un­ tops. The booting of the DepEd
“It was definitely planned. Con­ of Education (DepEd) and the Pro­ dersecretary Annalyn Sevilla if she (Dell) laptops took48.65 seconds
spiracy angle is still there. Di ko curement Service-Department of was aware that the February 2021 longer as compared to sim ilarly
masabi ano-ano ang role ng [Al­ BudgetandManagement(PS-DBM) MOA which was made to amend the priced HP i5 laptop which only
though I cannot yet pinpoint the in 2007 covering P13 billion worth original 2017 MOA) was dateddiffer- took 18.97 seconds.
role of the] conspirators...Tolen­ of projects; the creation of a task ently from its actual execution date. The also showed that HP loaded
tino said after the hearing. He also force to monitor the cash transfer “You still insist that the MOA the Zoomin2.96seconds compared
did not say who among the parties to the Procurement Service of the we are scrutinizing, dated Febru­ to the 22.18 seconds of Dell laptops.
involved in it could be involved in Department ofBudgetandManage- ary 16, 2021, was executed on or Tolentino said that they will be
the alleged conspiracy. ment (PS-DBM); the negotiations before February 16, 2021? Is that coming out with a committee report
During the hearing, Tolentino for the drafting of a MOA to cover your testimony under oath before on November 19 or November 20.
presented several established facts the procurement of P2.4 billion this committee, given all of these “We hope to have something
that surfaced in the previous hear­ worth of laptops for public school revelations?” Pimentel asked. that would amend existing laws.
ings , such as the existence of a mem­ teachers, and the purchase of alleg­ Sevilla distanced herself from We hope to have something that
orandum of agreement (MOA) that edly overpriced laptops and their confirming Pimentel’s assertions would pin liability or accountabil­
he dubbed as the “mother MOA” distribution even to non-teaching and denied personal knowledge on ity to persons that led to this situ­
executedbetween the Department personnel. the matter. She explained that the ation,” he concluded.

You may not copy, distribute, sell or publish in any form or by any means, the information that is provided here that is intended for client's internal research purposes only.
Prior consent and approval from the copyright owner is required.