DepEd asks public to report corrupt contractors to new hotline

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has set up a dedicated anti-corruption channel where the public can report suspicious bidding activities or violations of procurement laws within the department. 

In a department-wide memo publicized Tuesday, November 5, DepEd also guaranteed confidential treatment of all reports sent to the email address ([email protected]), which aims to catch contractors and officials involved in bid manipulation or intentional delays in school procurement. 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara stands "committed to establishing an open, transparent, and efficient procurement process in DepEd that will foster public confidence in the procurement process and enhance procurement integrity," according to the memorandum, which was signed by Peter Irving Corvera, DepEd's undersecretary for procurement. 

"No bidder shall be favored, given undue advantage, or accorded preferential treatment for any reason whatsoever," stated the memorandum, which comes amid heightened scrutiny of allegations of irregularities within DepEd under former Education Secretary Sara Duterte. 

DepEd warned that contractors and suppliers caught manipulating bids or engaging in corrupt practices face blacklisting from all government procurement activities. Meanwhile, DepEd employees found guilty of procurement-related corruption will face "severe disciplinary actions, including dismissal from service," on top of potential criminal charges. 

The memorandum specifically prohibits activities that manipulate the bidding process, give undue preference to certain bidders and intentionally delay bidding procedures. 

"DepEd appeals to the public for support and encourages the reporting of any information pertaining to any possible illegal or corrupt activities in its procurement processes," the memorandum read.

DepEd, managing over 40,000 public schools nationwide, handles billions in contracts for everything from textbooks to classroom construction. This has made it a prime target for procurement irregularities and corruption over the years, across different administrations. 

One of the most recent corruption scandals involving DepEd was the laptop procurement fiasco during the COVID-19 pandemic under then-Secretary Leonor Briones, where teachers received faulty or substandard laptops even as the devices were purchased at an inflated price. Overall, the budget for the procurement of the faulty laptops was worth P2.4 million.

Meanwhile, under former Education Secretary Sara Duterte, the agency's former procurement head alleged that in 2022, she was pressured to go along with one ranking DepEd official's suggestion to prevent a bidding failure by having the bidders just talk among themselves — a violation of procurement laws. She said she was made to resign when she did not agree to skew the bidding for DepEd's computerization program.

Angara in September required all DepEd offices to conduct early procurement activities to give DepEd an early head start on procuring goods and services, including textbooks, learning tools, and infrastructure projects, for 2025.