The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a six-month preventive suspension without pay for several government officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) following their involvement in the alleged PHP 2.4 billion laptop deal under the previous administration.
In an 11-page resolution dated August 23, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said his office found sufficient grounds to preventively suspend the following government officials in accordance with Section 27 of the Ombudsman law:
- DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla
- former DepEd undersecretary Alain del Pascua
- former Department of Budget and Management undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao
- DepEd Assistant Secretary for Administration and Procurement, Salvador Malana III
- Director Abram Abanil of the Information and Communications Technology Services, DepEd/Designated Ad Hoc Member, Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC-1) for the “Laptop for Teachers” Project
- Director Jasonmar Uayan, Officer-in-Charge, Executive Director, Procurement Service-DBM
- Ulysees Mora Procurement Management Officer, PS-DBM and Designated Chairperson, SBAC-1
- Marwin Amil, Procurement Management Officer I, PS-DBM and Designated Provisional Member, SBAC-1;
- Alec Ladanga, Executive Assistant IV, Office of Undersecretary Sevilla, DepEd
- Marcelo Bragado, Director IV, Procurement Management Service, DepEd
- Selwyn Briones, Supervising Administrative Officer, DepEd, and
- Paul Armand Estrada, Procurement Management Officer V, PS-DBM and Designated Regular Member, SBAC-1
The individuals mentioned were placed under preventive suspension until the administrative process of their case is terminated.
The suspension will not exceed six months, but the officials will not receive their pay during the said duration, “except when the delay in the disposition of the case is due to their fault, negligence or petition.”
The decision stemmed from the complaint filed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee over the procurement of allegedly “overpriced” and “outdated” laptops during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
The procurement process for the laptop computers was supposedly conducted by the PS-DBM upon the request and authority of the DepEd.
Citing the report, the Ombudsman said that the DepEd accepted the PHP 58,300 amount for each laptop when the estimated cost based on the Annual Procurement Plan was PHP 35,046.50 only.
It also noted that Dell laptops with better specifications cost P22,490 to 25,000.
“Over 28,000 teachers were deprived of laptops to use during the COVID-19 pandemic as fewer units were purchased by the agency,” the Ombudsman said.
To adhere to due process
In a statement, the DepEd said it received the preventive suspension order for Sevilla for the duration of the proceedings.
It also assured the public that its services would not be affected by this, as the agency prepares for the opening of School Year 2023 to 2024.
