House probe sought into reselling of DepEd laptops for teachers

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution has been filed calling for an investigation into the sale of Department of Education-procured laptops in surplus stores and allegations of anomalous contracts that led to the irregularity.

The Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 950 on Tuesday that calls on the House good government and public accounts committee to conduct a probe in aid of legislation into reports of DepEd laptops being sold in surplus stores in Cebu and Rizal and on Facebook.

The “profit-making” that ensued from laptops purchased through public funds intended to benefit public school teachers adds to the previous controversies that hounded the DepEd’s projects related to the procurement of distance learning devices, the resolution read.

“It’s important to investigate this because teachers badly need laptops now. They were hoodwinked by the overpriced laptops that were eventually recalled, and now corrupt people from DepEd are profiting from it,” Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Partylist) said in Filipino. 

In February, DepEd confirmed that laptops custom-made for public school teachers were being sold at a surplus store in Cebu. Following the discovery, DepEd filed a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation and is still currently coordinating with the bureau for updates.

This was a separate incident from the overpriced laptops deal by DepEd that was scrutinized by the powerful Senate Blue Committee late last year—a probe that eventually led the committee to recommend charges against DepEd and other government officials involved in the purchase.

The latest resolution, filed by Castro, Reps. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party) and Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist), was triggered by a two-part Rappler report that documented DepEd’s undelivered laptops for public school teachers and the department’s apparent unpaid fees to its logistics firm of choice, Transpac Cargo Logistics, Inc.

The House resolution also pointed out that DepEd’s computerization program—under which the laptops were procured—cannot solve teachers’ working conditions, given the limited number of devices that were supposed to be delivered and its outdated specifications.

In 2012 and 2015, the Commission on Audit flagged DepEd for the late delivery of computer packages worth billions to schools, citing the absence of proper monitoring by DepEd officials over the project. 

The audits also noted that some of the computer packages that were eventually delivered were incomplete or defective.

The resolution said that Congress must look into allegations of corruption related to the procurement of laptops given the possible laws violated by public officials, as well as “the grave implications” of the incident to the education sector.

"We hope that the House investigation on this issue would be expedited and those responsible should be held accountable," Castro said.