AT LEAST three lawmakers want to investigate, in aid of legislation, the alleged procurement of overpriced and outdated laptops for teachers by the Department of Education through the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service.

House Resolution 189 was filed by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoual Danniel Manuel.

The lawmakers particularly cited the project Supply and Delivery of Laptop Computers for Public School Teachers amounting to P2.4 billion.

“Teachers are especially hurt by this anomaly because while they even have to borrow money to buy a laptop for their classes, billions have been spent on this anomalous deal. Habang binabarat ang lugmok sa trabahong mga guro ay ganito pa ang ginagawa sa pondong dapat na sana ay sila ang nakikinabang. Marapat talaga na maimbestigahan ang anomalyang ito,” Castro said.

In their resolution, the lawmakers stressed that this was not the first time that the DBM-PS purchased overpriced goods, citing the P8.6-8 billion purchase of overpriced Personal Protective Equipment and testing kits.

The resolution said that based on the DepEd’s Agency Procurement Request, the price per unit of a laptop is only P35,046.50 but the DBM-PS recommended a unit price of P58,300.

“Not only did the government waste people’s money for purchasing expensive yet outdated laptops, it also deprived thousands of teacher of gadgets that could have helped them implement distance learning,” the lawmakers said.