The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday recommended criminal and administrative charges against former and present officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) as well as the Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).

This comes after the panel, led by chairman Senator Francis Tolentino, found that the 39,000 laptops procured by DepEd in 2021 were overpriced by at least Php 979 million.

"There is a sufficient basis to believe that there was a conspiracy to facilitate and/or generate an overpriced which indicates manifest partiality, evident bad faith, and/or gross inexcusable neglect on the part of the senior officials and staff of the DepEd and the PS-DBM," the panel said in the 197-page report.

"While they seemingly act separately, concerted acts were evident to create an opportunity for favored bidders to submit bloated and excessive bids, leading to an overprice in the purchase of the laptops," it added.

According to Tolentino, Briones "may have unwittingly approved the new parameters which increased the price and decreased the quantity."

The panel instead seeks to file charges against the following officials for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act:

DepEd officials

• Former Usec. Alain del B. Pascua
• Usec. Annalyn M. Sevilla
• Former Asec. Salvador C. Malana III
• Dir. Abram Y.C Abanil

The Senate panel also proposed charging DepEd Usec. Annalyn Sevilla and former Executive Assistant Alec Ladanga of one count of violation of Article 171 for falsification of public documents and Article 183.

Meanwhile, multiple counts of perjury were also sought against:

• Former Usec. Alain del B. Pascua
• DepEd Usec. Annalyn M. Sevilla
• Former Asec. Salvador C. Malana III
• Former OIC Executive Director Lloyd Christopher A. Lao
• Former OIC Executive Director Jasonmer L. Uayan

In the same report, the Senate panel likewise recommended the abolition of PS-DBM.