Tuesday, January 31, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News National

Cayetano supports probe on alleged overpriced laptops

Macon Ramos-AranetabyMacon Ramos-Araneta
August 16, 2022, 11:10 pm
in National, News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said he has no misgiving that he will act on calls to probe the alleged “pricey but outdated” P2.4 billion laptops purchased by the government.

Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Sen. Francis Tolentino has remained mum on the issue.

Cayetano however said he believes that Tolentino is very capable to handle the investigation. “I have full faith in Tolentino,” said Cayetano, who has once aspired to head the said committee.

However, Cayetano also acknowledged that each (Senate committee) chair has his own rules and his style.

“I don’t want to pre-empt him. But he can hear this first (laptop controversy), said the former House Speaker, adding that this is a “very good first case” to take for the BRC.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“Why? Because it’s simple. If there are anomalies, we can hold someone accountable to show the public we will not let this pass. But if we do not probe it, other corrupt officials will have the courage to commit the same erroneous acts,” he said.

He divulged being baffled about the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) becoming a “favorite” to make purchases even for government agencies like the Department of Health (DOH) and now the Department of Education (DepEd).

“Before the head of the PS-DBM (Christopher Lloyd Lao), I was watching the Pharmally hearings. During the time of the late President Aquino, PS-DBM was winning awards. They were very good, but the purpose of PS-DBM was to make biddings for small municipalities, hospitals, etc.,” Cayetano said, adding that the PS-DBM also consolidates biddings for the procurement. “But I don’t know why everything was passed to PS-DBM.”

Cayetano wants to know in the investigation who issued the order and what happened. “There are more questions to answer,” he added. He maintained that former President Rodrigo Duterte, under whose administration the laptop purchase was made—has no links in the procurement.

In his experience, Cayetano said Duterte does not get himself involved.

The call for an investigation stemmed from the annual report of the Commission on Audit (COA), flagging DepEd for purchasing the P2.4 billion worth of laptops through the PS-DBM in 2021 when there are cheaper and better options in the market.

COA also said the purchase of the more expensive laptops resulted in the procurement of fewer units. This deprived more than 28,000 teachers of the benefit.

Cayetano questioned why the laptops were seemingly priced beyond their specifications, adding the units procured had slow, entry-level processors.

He also said the procurement of the laptops happened nine months after the budget for their purchase was approved under the Bayanihan II pandemic relief bill.

He added that the funds for the purchase were already available by September 2020, but the laptops were only bought around nine months later in June 2021 and distributed to public school teachers in August that year, he added.

Asked if DepEd is off the hook, the lawmaker said there are “too many questions” for the department.

“Why is the procurement too slow? Why did you not bid it? Did you provide the specifications? Why did you accept it? We have only known it because of the COA report when it should be the DepEd to raise an alarm on it,” he said.

Cayetano further said it is a “necessity” to summon Lao to the legislative hearings.

Tags: Alan Peter CayetanoFrancis Tolentinolaptops
ADVERTISEMENT
Macon Ramos-Araneta

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Related Posts

PBBM rolls out 5-year dev’t plan

byVito Barceloand1 others
January 31, 2023, 1:40 am
0
8
Arcilla, Kinaadman to dispute Brookside Open title

Signs EO for economic recovery to uplift lives of ordinary Pinoys President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order...

Read more

Mr. Marcos says education system ‘failed’ the children

byVince Lopezand1 others
January 31, 2023, 1:30 am
0
8
Tiamzons killed in boat explosion? Military mum on details of incident

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the education system has “failed” Filipino children as he vowed to do better...

Read more

Fuel price hikes: Gas up P1.30/l, diesel by P1/l

byAlena Mae S. Floresand1 others
January 31, 2023, 1:10 am
0
8
Senate-Comelec accord

Domestic pump prices went up for the third consecutive week by as much as P1.35 per liter effective 6 a.m....

Read more

Enrile slams ICC, suggests probers’ arrest for interfering

byRey E. Requejoand1 others
January 31, 2023, 1:00 am
0
8
Sen. Imee Marcos commemorates martial law’s 50th year

Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday recommended that investigators working for the International Criminal Court (ICC) be...

Read more

Power snaps may hit rural areas

byAlena Mae S. Flores
January 31, 2023, 12:50 am
0
8
Napocor seeks higher charges

State-run National Power Corp. warned on Monday about year-long daily power interruptions affecting 1.3 million households in remote islands and...

Read more

PBBM vows ‘all possible aid’ to Ranara family

byVince Lopezand1 others
January 31, 2023, 12:30 am
0
8
PBBM vows ‘all possible aid’ to Ranara family

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to extend all possible assistance to the family of Jullebee Ranara, the 35-year-old...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Sneakers for Makati : AB4.0
  • PBBM rolls out 5-year dev’t plan
  • Mr. Marcos says education system ‘failed’ the children
  • Fuel price hikes: Gas up P1.30/l, diesel by P1/l
  • Enrile slams ICC, suggests probers’ arrest for interfering
  • Power snaps may hit rural areas
  • PBBM vows ‘all possible aid’ to Ranara family
  • SC nullifies SEC memo on CPAs, external audits

Advertisement

Latest News

Power snaps may hit rural areas

byAlena Mae S. Flores
January 31, 2023, 12:50 am
0
8
Napocor seeks higher charges

State-run National Power Corp. warned on Monday about year-long daily power interruptions affecting 1.3 million households in remote islands and...

Read more

PBBM vows ‘all possible aid’ to Ranara family

byVince Lopezand1 others
January 31, 2023, 12:30 am
0
8
PBBM vows ‘all possible aid’ to Ranara family

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to extend all possible assistance to the family of Jullebee Ranara, the 35-year-old...

Read more

SC nullifies SEC memo on CPAs, external audits

byRey E. Requejo
January 31, 2023, 12:20 am
0
8
Omicron now dominant virus variant in US

The Supreme Court has nullified for being unconstitutional the memorandum circulars issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission that required...

Read more

Now things get ‘egg-citing’

byManila Standard
January 31, 2023, 12:15 am
0
8
Now things get ‘egg-citing’

First, we got reports on the unrestrained smuggling of food products like sugar, rice, onions, fish and meat—but no one...

Read more

Victory for press freedom

byTony La Viña
January 31, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

"May the free press win in all these cases" Rappler Holdings Corporation and its president Maria Ressa have been acquitted...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App