Solon seeks probe on 'rigged' bidding of laptops during VP Sara's time at DepEd

Manila Bulletin

House Assistant Majority Leader Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon is calling for an inquiry into what he described as the "rigged" bidding of laptops and other electronic devices under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Computerization Program, specifically during Vice President Sara Duterte's tenure as agency secretary.  READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/3/solon-seeks-probe-on-rigged-bidding-of-laptops-during-vp-sara-s-time-at-dep-ed  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00I ask that and I would like to raise this concern, Madam Chair, because in 2022,

00:07the DepEd computerization program in the form of e-classrooms,

00:12laptops, TV, and charging battery,

00:16the budget for this is approximately P8 billion.

00:20Now, mayroon pong mga sumaling bidders dito po sa pag-procure ng laptops, et cetera,

00:30and this was bidded out by 16 lots, but only 2 lots passed with 1 bidder.

00:38Now, my question is, can I ask for the list of the bidders who joined and participated in this bidding?

00:46Yes, Madam Chair, we could provide you with a list of the people who joined in the bidding.

00:52Now, because, Madam Chair, I have an information that out of the 16, 14 lots were re-bidded

01:01because the bidders were disqualified.

01:05Ngayon ang tanong po, Madam Chair, pwede po ba malaman ang mga rason kung bakit na disqualifika ito pong mga bidders na ito?

01:13Yes, Madam Chair. At the time of that bidding, I was not part of the BAC at that time,

01:19but I am the USEC for Procurements, so I do monitoring of the procurement.

01:24There are various reasons kung bakit nag-fail yung mga ibang lots na yon.

01:28Mostly, like all other bidding, yung mga failure to comply with certain submissions of documents

01:36like kulang ng ganitong certification o kulang ng ganong mga documents

01:40kasi minsan bidders usually commit mistakes in their submission to the bid envelope.

01:47So yung po yung mga reasons usually, not only for this one, but for all other biddings, usually yung po yung dahilan.

01:54You mentioned that you were part of the bidding through monitoring, correct?

02:00Yes, if I'm not mistaken. I can't remember kasi. I remember I wasn't yet part of the BAC at that time.

02:05Okay. Pwede mo ba sabihin sa committee ng ito ano yung variance ng bidding nila during that time?

02:10Yung mga bidders. Yung variance ng amount.

02:14Hindi ko po maano, but I could check the documents and submit po.

02:19Madam Chair, I would like to request the DepEd family to produce and submit to this Honorable Committee the requested documents.

02:26But approximately, do you have in mind what is the approximate amount of the variance?

02:32I cannot recall, Your Honor, about the variance. It's just that they submitted the bids and then...

02:38I asked that question Madam Chair because I have an information.

02:42During that bidding, ang variance po is 24%. If this is translated into cash, this will amount to Php 1.6 billion.

02:52Napakali kayo pong halaga.

02:54Now, ang sunod ko pong tanong, since nagkaroon po ng failure to bid, ano po ang sunod na nangyari? Nagkaroon po ba ng re-bidding?

03:03Ah, yes. Yes, Your Honor.

03:05Okay. I have information, Madam Chair, na yung pong mga na-disqualify ng mga bidders.

03:11Nadabanggit mo na base dun sa mga sinubmit nila, incomplete documents, so nagkaroon po ng re-bidding.

03:19Ngayon, ang impormasyon na nakarating po sa akin, ito pong mga disqualified bidders ay sumali po ulit sa bidding.

03:27And worst, Madam Chair, they all qualified in the bidding, but the variance during the re-bidding is only 1%, Madam Chair.

03:38Nawala po yung 20% na supposedly na-save po ng gobyerno sa pag-procure po ng mga laptops.

03:47Can we know bakit po yung nangyari?

03:50What I can recall, Your Honor, kasi usually pag nagkakaroon ng re-bid, not only in this one, as a general concept,

03:58pag nagkaroon po ng re-bid, the bidders are able to correct their mistakes already.

04:02Kasi siyempre, nakita na po nila yung pagkukulang nila, nakakapagsabita sila kung ano yung kulang noong first round.

04:09Yes, but we're talking the bidding of the laptops. So this is specific.

04:13Gusto ko lang malamad kasi sayang yun. 24% sana ang na-save ng ating gobyerno.

04:19Ito po ay nagkakahalaga ng P1.6B. So nung nagkaroon ng re-bidding, naging 1% na lang yung variance.

04:28So ano po yung nangyari?

04:30Hindi ko po masabi or hindi ko po alam kung ano yung nangyari kasi sa mga bidders po yun kung paano sila magbid.

04:39Ang aming pong role kasi is i-evaluate yung mga documents.

04:42So ang aking masasabi lang by way of, you know, as a general concept is during the re-bid, they are able to correct their mistakes.

04:50And during the re-bid, sometimes prices might have changed.

04:53There are maybe many other factors. Let's say if it's imported, there are foreign exchange implications or sometimes customs duties and all that.

05:02Nagbabago-bago po. There are many factors po. Misan logistics cost and all that.

05:07So yun po, I'm just answering based on theory kung ano po yung possible mga factors which will cause na during re-bid nagbabago yung presyo.

05:17And usually nagbabago rin po yung dokumento na sinasabit po nila.

05:21Anyway, may nakaligtan lang ako regarding doon sa last natin na pinag-usapan.

05:26You mentioned that you were monitoring the bidding, right?

05:31And then at that time nagkasabay pa po kayo ni Yusek Mercado.

05:35Tama? Sa Deped?

05:38So pwede ko ba malaman ano nangyari kay Yusek Mercado? Bakit hindi na po siya connected sa Deped?

05:44Ano nangyari kayo?

05:46Ang pagkakaalam ko, yung pagkakaalam ko po is nag-retire na po siya.

05:52How about Asek Bringas?

05:56Si Asek Bringas po, I also resigned, Your Honor.

06:01They both resigned from the Department, Your Honor.

06:05Both Asek Bringas and Yusek Mercado have resigned, Your Honor.

06:10Thank you, Secretary. So going back to Yusek Mercado, sabi niyo po nag-retire? Tama po ba yan?

06:16Yan po yung pagkakaalam ko.

06:18Yan po yung pagkakaalam niyo?

06:20Pero may mga balita ko kasi na nag-resign.

06:23I stand corrected with the case of Mercado. She retired. It's Bringas who resigned, Your Honor.

06:29It was Bringas.

06:32So again, going back to Yusek Mercado, ano po ba nangyari ulit?

06:38Nag-retire?

06:40Nag-retire po.

06:41She retired, Your Honor.

06:42And it was Asek Bringas who resigned?

06:45Yes, Your Honor.

06:46Bakit po kaya nag-resign? Alam niyo ba yung rason kung bakit?

06:50I think she wanted to pursue other things. She mentioned there's a school, wanted to start a school in Abra.

06:57It's one of the things. I think maybe wanted to move on professionally, Your Honor.

07:02So what is clear right now is that Yusek Glo is no longer connected in DepEd.

07:15And she was occupying that position during the first bidding.

07:23I will no longer pursue my next topic, Madam Chair.

07:27But I would just like to say na meron pong conspiracy na naganap.

07:33Imagine, nag-bidding na. And it's all favorable to the government.

07:38Tapos nag-re-bidding, naging 1% yung variance.

07:43Hindi po ba yun malaking question sa DepEd family?

07:49So madaling sabi dito, Madam Chair, tumaas ang presyo ng laptop.

07:55And it is because of conspiracy of the people behind in this bidding of laptop.

08:04Probably, Madam Chair, involved dito ang mga nakaupo sa back and of course yung head of the procuring entity.

08:14And I would like to manifest, Madam Chair, that this warrants an in-depth investigation probably in a proper committee after this budget hearings, Madam Chair.

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Transcript

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