House assistant majority leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, is seeking an in-depth congressional probe into the alleged irregularities in the bidding of laptops and other electronic devices under the Department of Education's (DepEd) P1.6 billion Computerization Program during Vice President Sara Duterte's tenure as Education secretary.
At the same time, Zamboanga del Norte 3rd District Rep. Adrian Michael Amatong welcomed secretary Sonny Angara's commitment to tackle the deep-rooted issues plaguing the Department of Education (DepEd), many of which he inherited from Duterte's tenure.
During the hearing on the P793.18 billion proposed DepEd budget, Bongalon raised possible irregularities in the bidding of the P8-billion fund for the purchase of laptops, which had two bids.
“Sa madaling sabi po, Madam Chair, rigged po ‘yung bidding,” Bongalon alleged.
"And I would like to manifest, Madam Chair, this warrants an in-depth investigation, probably in a proper committee after this budget hearing,"
Bongalon said to the House Committee on Appropriations briefing by Davao de Oro Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora.
The House Committee on Appropriations carried Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville "Jinky" Luistro's motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum to DepEd without objection.
Bongalon exposed what he described as an alleged "conspiracy" behind the bidding of P8 billion worth of laptops and other related equipment for public schools.
“I would just like to say na may conspiracy na naganap. Imagine, nag-bidding na, and it’s all favorable to the government tapos nag-rebidding naging 1% yung variance. Hindi po ba yun malaking kuwestiyon sa DepEd family?” Bongalon asked.
"Sa madaling sabi dito, Madam Chair, tumaas ang presyo ng laptop, and it is because of the conspiracy of the people behind this bidding of laptops," he said.
He told new DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara that he might be unable need to help answer his questions as he would raise concerns about the procurement of laptops and other equipment for public schools in 2022 and 2023.
Answering Bongalon's queries, DepEd Undersecretary Gerard Chan said that during the first bidding, out of the 16 lots up for bidding, only two were awarded, and the 14 other disqualified bidders were allowed to bid again in a rebidding.
In the same hearing, Amatong did not hesitate to express his frustration over the state of the education system, particularly the department's chronic procurement failures and the severe shortage of classrooms and textbooks nationwide.
Amatong pointed out that these issues have persisted despite the availability of funds, which raises serious questions about the management under Duterte.
“Akala ko naman wala tayong pondo, meron pala. Di ko maintindihan anong klaseng katarantaduhan ang nangyayari, bakit nagsa-suffer ang mga bata? Kasi po kung wala tayong pondo, maintindihan ko eh, pero bakit po DepEd, bakit po, meron naman pala?” Amatong questioned, noting the failures that have left many students, especially those in poor districts, without textbooks and other essential learning tools.
But Amatong expressed optimism with Angara at the helm, praising his commitment to tackling these inherited issues head-on.
“We’ll make sure, Your Honor, that we will coordinate with you. Tayo, we pledge to be fair in the distribution of classrooms. Pagbigyan ninyo sana dahil bago pa po kami. Give us a chance to show, ipakita po namin ‘yun, na makaka-deliver po kami,” Angara, who has been at the DepEd for only about six weeks, assured the House Committee on Appropriations.
Amatong acknowledged the magnitude of Angara's challenges ahead, especially given the "mismanagement" under Duterte's leadership.
"Alam kong kailangan mo ng milagro dyan para maitama lahat," Amatong remarked, recognizing that the new DepEd chief has inherited a department plagued by systemic issues.
He further emphasized the urgency of addressing the severe classroom shortage, which has left the country short by 160,000 classrooms.
"We talk about improving the learning environment, about computers and textbooks, but if there are no classrooms, what kind of environment are we providing?" Amatong pointed out that previous leadership needed to prioritize this critical aspect of education.
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