CONGRESS, having exposed alleged overpriced and outdated laptops purchased for the Department of Education (DepEd) last year, must demand for the blacklisting of the suppliers from further deals, a digital advocacy group said on Tuesday.
“Congress should use its power of the purse to compel DepEd to blacklist the suppliers involved,” Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo said in a Viber chat with reporters.
Making the call a day before the DepEd’s scheduled presentation of its proposed P758.6-billion budget for 2024, Mr. Gustilo added: “It is only prudent that DepEd should also comply (if asked by Congress to blacklist suppliers involved in the laptops deal) to prevent a repeat of the incident.”
Last year, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee found that laptops purchased through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) were overpriced by P979 million. State auditors also flagged the cost per unit as against the laptop specifications.
“The Education department should do away with suppliers that transact with the government with ill intentions,” said Mr. Gustilo. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
