SENATORS questioned officials of the Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service on the purchase of alleged “overpriced and outdated” laptops for teachers.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Senator Francis Tolentino scrutinized the memorandum of agreement signed by DepEd and PS-DBM.

Tolentino cited the provision on the MOA stating that the procurement should be aligned with the Food and Drugs Administration Law.

“Parang hindi napag-aralan ng abogado kasi kung maayos-ayos na abogado, tatanungin niya bakit kasama itong FDA law sa pagbili ng laptop?” he observed.

Salvador Malana III, former DepEd assistant secretary for procurement and administration, who witnessed the signing of the agreement admitted that it was a big mistake to have included the FDA law.

He said that the MOA emanated from a pro forma contract from the PS-DBM and was only customized for procuring the DepEd laptops.

Meanwhile, Senators Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa and Alan Peter Cayetano grilled Education Undersecretary Alain Pascua on the approval of the procurement of laptops that were allegedly overpriced.

Dela Rosa asked the Department of Education why it agreed to purchase the laptops at P58,000 per unit.

“Bakit kayo pumayag na taasan ng PS-DBM ang presyo? Very clear ito sa records na pumayag kayo, from P35,000 ginawang P58,000… bakit kayo pumayag? Puwede malaman ano nangyari bakit kayo pumayag?” Dela Rosa asked.

Cayetano, meanwhile said the price is similar to that of a Macbook Air.

“Is it incompetence o kakuntsaba ka ng mga taga-DBM-PS? In-approve niyo P58,000, kapresyo ng Macbook Air, paano mo naman ia-approve ang entry level na kapresyo ng Macbook Air?” Cayetano said.

Pascua insisted that he did not approve the purchase of the laptops.

“Hindi ako ang nag-approve, Your Honor. Hindi ko sinabing ako ang nag-approve. Ang sinabi namin, nagbigay ang PS-DBM ng action slip na kinoncur ng ICTS. Hindi ko sinabi na ako ang nag-confirm o nag-concur,” Pascua said.

Cayetano pointed out that the act of concurrence of the DepEd’s ICT unit was similar to approving the purchase of the overpriced laptops.