The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ought to launch an investigation into allegedly overpriced cameras procured by the Department of Education if the company is not going to take motion on these claims, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III stated Thursday.
“It’s worth looking into and then kasi kung hindi aksyunan ng DepEd ‘yan, pwede na aksyunan ng Blue Ribbon ‘yan [if the DepEd doesn’t act on it, the Blue Ribbon can],” Pimentel stated in a web based interview.
The lawmaker believes that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee already has the “expertise” to research circumstances of overpricing as a result of it has already concluded its probe into the outdated and dear laptops procured by the identical division.
“This time palitan lang ‘yung laptop ng camera [just exchange the laptops with cameras],” he stated.
He defined that the Blue Ribbon panel pursued the investigation into the overpriced DepEd laptops as a result of they “felt” that there was lack of motion on the a part of the Executive department.
“Intayin muna natin [Let’s give it some time]. Let’s give the Department of Education the chance to act on those reports and maybe the [Commission on Audit.] After the passage of a sufficient period of time, makita natin na walang aksyon, tsaka po pwede na tawagin natin na umaksyon ang Senate Blue Ribbon [if we see nothing is being done, then we can urge the Blue Ribbon committee to take action],” he stated.
On Wednesday, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa stated the division will examine an allegation that it bought overpriced cameras in 2019.
A photojournalist not too long ago posted a photograph of a Canon 1500D digicam with a DepEd sticker hooked up, indicating an acquisition price of P155,929.
Other particulars such because the DSLR digicam’s serial quantity, acquisition date, and accountable officer had been on the sticker.
Poa stated he’ll look into the matter earlier than giving additional feedback, saying it’s nonetheless unsure which cameras had been being in contrast within the now-deleted publish.
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) chairperson Vladimer Quetua on Wednesday additionally known as on DepEd, together with Congress and the Commission on Audit (COA), to research the matter.
On January 19, the Senate blue ribbon committee launched a report into the DepEd’s controversial procurement of laptops for public faculty lecturers in 2021, which confirmed that the contract for the provision and supply of the devices was overpriced by no less than P979 million.
Due to this, the Senate panel beneficial graft and perjury costs towards some former and present officers of DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM).
The report has to this point reached the plenary, with DepEd committing to cooperate with any proceedings that may ensue. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
