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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara seeks Ombudsman probe into DepEd laptop corruption

VP Sara seeks Ombudsman probe into DepEd laptop corruption

Published Oct 14, 2025 09:34 pm
Vice President Sara Duterte and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (MB File Photos)
Vice President Sara Duterte and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (MB File Photos)
Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Oct. 14, alleged that former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co was also behind the laptop corruption scandal at the Department of Education (DepEd), saying that the Office of the Ombudsman should launch investigations into the illegal deals.

During a press briefing in Zamboanga City, the Vice President even admitted that confidential funds were used into her investigation while she was still the DepEd secretary.

“SunWest ang contractor ng laptop doon sa DepEd (SunWest is the contractor of the laptop there at DepEd),” she said, naming a company allegedly linked to the former lawmaker.

“Kasi kung talagang seryoso ang Ombudsman sa pag-iimbestiga, imbestigahan nila yung laptop corruption scandal ng Department of Education. Nandoon si Zaldy Co (Because if the Ombudsman is really serious about investigating, it should investigate the laptop corruption scandal of the Department of Education. Zaldy Co is there),” she added.

Earlier, Duterte said she wouldn’t have appointed newly installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to the office if she was president.

“At alam ko yun dahil gumawa kami ng sarili naming investigation sa loob ng Department of Education noong ako ay Department of Education secretary. May I just say na merong confidential funds na pumunta doon sa paghahanap ng ebidensya sa investigation na ‘yun (And I know that because we did our own investigation inside the Department of Education when I was Department of Education secretary. May I just say that there are confidential funds that went to seeking evidence for that investigation),” she claimed.

Co has been accused of amassing billions of pesos in public funds from anomalous and ghost infrastructure projects.

He is also being accused of masterminding irregular insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Duterte, who earlier said Co and former speaker Martin Romualdez were the only two persons controlling the public coffers, questioned the flow of the investigation into the corruption issues.

“Bakit pinipili? Kaya natin nasasabi lahat na merong controlling the narrative ay dahil pinipili nila kung ano yung gusto nila imbestigahan (Why are they being choosy? We’re saying that there is controlling narrative because they are nitpicking only what they want to investigate),” she explained.

“At kung napapansin nyo, kapag medyo tatamaan na o merong tatamaan o tatamaan na talaga ang Office of the President, ang administration sa imbestigasyon ay biglang namamatay yung imbestigasyon o nawawala, o nalilibing, o nalulubog yung imbestigasyon. So ibig sabihin meron talagang pagkontrol sa kwento (And if you will notice, if the evidence points to the Office of the President, the administration, the investigation will suddenly die or stopped or buried. So, it means there is an attempt to control the story),” she pointed out.

The Vice President also lamented that the current administration has not been doing anything but engage in politics.

He said the government’s only “objective” now is politicking and “perpetuation in power.”

“Wala naman ginagawa itong gobyerno na ito kundi number one, mamulitika. And number two, ubusin ang budget ng Pilipinas sa corruption. So yan lang yun ang ginagawa nila sa totoo lang. Mayroon ba kayong nakikitang project? Wala (This government isn’t doing anything but number one, politicking. And number two, waste the budget of the Philippines to corruption. That’s what they’re doing. Do you see any project? None),” she added.

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DepEd Laptop VP Sara Duterte Zaldy Co Ombudsman
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