DepEd to strengthen internal controls, procurement process after Senate findings on overpriced laptops 

The Department of Education (DepEd) will further strengthen its internal controls and procurement process following the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the “overpriced laptops” given to public school teachers.

“DepEd has always said that we are committed to transparency and accountability and that applies specifically also to the procurement process,” said DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa in a virtual presser on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Poa said that the DepEd “appreciates” the investigation that was conducted by the Blue Ribbon Committee and welcomes its recommendations on the controversial laptop issue under the former administration.

The Senate report found out that the laptops previously procured by DepEd were overpriced by at least P979 million and the panel recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against officials of DepEd and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/29/outdated-laptops-issued-by-deped-rejected-returned-by-teachers-group/

“As to their findings and recommendations, we will definitely consider those recommendations and findings so that we can also strengthen our internal controls in terms of procurement in DepEd,” Poa said.

The recommendations and findings of the Blue Ribbon Committee, he added, will also be considered so that “we could streamline and put in internal controls to ensure that our procurement process is efficient and transparent.”

While DepEd has yet to receive a copy of the said Senate report, Poa said that there have been initial initiatives related to the laptop issue.

Poa noted that DepEd has already requested the conduct of a fraud audit from the Commission on Audit (COA). “This is also one of the recommendations of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and we’re just waiting for the findings on the fraud audit,” he explained.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/17/vp-secretary-sara-requests-for-fraud-audit-of-the-p2-4-b-laptop-deal/

DepEd, he added, also conducted administrative proceedings about the signing authority related to the changing of specifications of the laptops involved. “The admin proceedings are ongoing,” he said.

The persons involved, he noted, are also submitting their respective position papers “so we really expect that will be resolved very soon.”

Due to the procurement challenges in DepEd, Poa said that Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte ordered the creation of a separate strand for procurement.

“We are really committed to transparency and accountability so the investigation led by Senate will really help us because the recommendations in place, specifically to the procurement practice or procurement processes, we can consider adopting these,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“We really want the procurement process to be streamlined and more transparent that’s why even before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report came out, if there is a pre-bid conference, we live stream that so the public can see the procurement process and they become a part of it,” he added.

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https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/06/purchase-of-overpriced-outdated-laptops-sad-and-revolting-teachers/