Twelve officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) have been placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) over the allegedly overpriced purchases of P2.4 billion worth of “outdated” laptops in 2021.

Preventively suspended without pay until the termination of the investigation on the charges, but not more than six months, are DepEd’s Finance Undersecretary Analyn M. Sevilla, Administration and Procurement Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua, Assistant Secretary of Administration and Procurement Salvador C. Malana III, Director IV of Information and Communications Technology Services Abram Y.C. Abanil, Executive Assistant IV Alec S. Ladanga, Director IV of Procurement Management Service Marcelo H. Bragado, and Supervising Administrative Officer Selwyn C. Briones.

Suspended from PS-DBM are Undersecretary Christopher A. Lao, Director IV Jasonmer L. Uayan, Procurement Management Officer IV Ulysses E. Mora, Procurement Management Officer I Marwan O. Amil, and Procurement Management Officer V Paul Armand A. Estrada.

The suspension order was signed by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires last Aug. 23.  A copy of the order was obtained only on Friday, Aug. 25.

"This office finds sufficient grounds to preventively suspend the abovementioned respondents considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt.  The charges against them include Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty, and Gross Neglect of Duty, which may warrant their removal from the service," the order stated.

It also stated: "Their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them, and it is imperative to preserve documents and evidence pertaining to this case which respondents have control and custody."

The complaint stated that in 2021, DepEd, through the PS-DBM, purchased entry-level laptops for public school teachers for P58,300 each, while the approved budget was only P35,046.50 each.

Because of the "pricey" and "outdated" laptops that were overpriced by P23,253 per unit, DepEd could no longer purchase laptops for 68,500 more teachers and was able to provide only for 39,583, the complaint said.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee even issued Report No. 19, which found that "serious irregularities" have been committed at all stages of the procurement process. As a result, the contract for the purchase of laptops was "defective and highly irregular."

"The report's findings, mainly on the ground of DepEd authorizing and delegating the procurement task to PS-DBM, rendered the procurement process questionable and highly irregular," Martires’ order stated.

"Over 28,000 teachers were deprived of laptops to use during the Covid-19 pandemic as fewer units were purchased by the agency,” it added.