Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III called on the Ombudsman on Saturday to investigate the contractors involved in the multibillion-peso laptop procurement transactions, which have been dogged by suspicions of irregularities.
The senator urged the anti-corruption organization to make a concerted effort to recoup public funds used in the fraudulent transactions.
“The Ombudsman’s decision to impose preventive suspension sends a strong signal that any alleged wrongdoing will be treated seriously. It is equally vital to thoroughly examine the role of the contractor in this anomalous transaction, from its background to how it secured the contract,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel made the statement in response to the Ombudsman’s recent decision to suspend officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) over the contentious procurement of “outdated and overpriced” laptops for teachers.
Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading Inc., and VST ECS Philippines Inc. were awarded the contract by PS-DBM.
Pimentel is the author of Senate Resolution No. 120, which asked for a thorough probe of DepEd’s laptop procurement through PS-DBM.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee discovered that the joint-venture companies did not meet the technical standards for the laptops leaving them inappropriate for the demands of the teachers. Furthermore, the enterprises were unable to finish the delivery within the procurement contract’s agreed-upon target dates.
Meanwhile, Pimentel chastised PS-DBM for failing to swiftly ban the suppliers involved in the anomalous laptop purchases, as recommended by the COA.
