DepEd laptops probe part 2

This is part two of last week’s column, where we revealed serious cracks in government’s procurement system. We questioned the billions of pesos worth of desktop computers and laptops purchased by the Department of Education (DepEd) from a limited set of suppliers.

But before we could expose the so-called ‘old boys’ club’ of ‘favored’ DepEd computer suppliers, Senator Jinggoy Estrada beat us to the draw. He called for a senate probe into DepEd’s big-ticket contracts and questionable “repeat orders’ in alleged violation of government procurement rules.

In a news release yesterday, the senator questioned: 1) DepEd’s practice of “splitting contracts” supposedly to grant multi-billion peso deals to only a few “favored” suppliers; 2) suppliers with weird sounding names and questionable credentials (no websites, obscure addresses in Manila); and 3) non-scrutiny by DepEd, the Senate or even the Commission on Audit (COA) of the China-made computers purchased by DepEd from these suppliers.

He said awarding contracts to the same suppliers and chopping big contracts into smaller ones are strictly prohibited under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Estrada was also on point when he asked why these “chosen” suppliers were so lucky they almost always win or are awarded juicy DepEd computer contracts that run into billions of pesos over the years. He revealed before the committee that these companies include Advance Solutions Inc., Columbia Technologies, Reddot Imaging Philippines, Techguru Inc., and Girl Teki Inc., among others.

Curiously, Advance Solutions, Inc. – who happens to be a losing bidder in DepEd’s controversial P2.4 billion of laptops purchase last year – has been appearing as a resource person in the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon probe. This prompted Estrada to ask: “Since when has the Senate become a forum to hear the gripes of losing bidders?”

He also wondered why DepEd’s ‘favored’ suppliers have escaped scrutiny with no inquiry or audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) despite DepEd’s questionable procurement practices.

The audit would have shown if these computers were all delivered and received by their intended users. Therefore, it is incumbent upon DepEd to show if these devices were truly delivered and whether they are still in use or given up for scrap.

I hope the good senator from San Juan will make good on his promise to scrutinize these contracts. I expect that he would pursue a thorough investigation to unmask the cartel of suppliers. And the best opportunity to do that would be the ongoing deliberations of the 2023 budget of DepEd and its attached agencies.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee should work double time to finish its probe of the P2.4-billion laptops deal. After all, Committee Chair Francis Tolentino promised during his committee’s organizational meeting that investigations would be concluded swiftly and won’t be used as a platform to embarrass resource persons.

But as the committee hearings near its fourth installment, Tolentino seems to be falling into the same “monologue” routine for which his predecessor, former committee chair Richard Gordon, was sadly known.

19 QC subdivision residents lose homes to fake lot title

I can only commiserate with the unimaginable pain of 19 homeowners in VISTA REAL CLASSICA in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, who bought properties from Sta. In good faith, Lucia Realty and Garsons Co. inc. built their homes more than 20 years ago, only to lose it to another real estate company, 8990 holdings/Puzon, in a court dispute.

The “united homeowners” filed a complaint to the Office of the President and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), asking for the cancellation of Sta’s business permit. Lucia, who allegedly sold them lots belonging to another individual. They also asked the government to penalize the two opposing parties for the injustice to the legitimate residents who became “collateral damage” of the litigation on the original owner of reconstituted Lot 116 per Civil case 96-26712.

According to the residents’ complaint, tensions started on August 17 when lawyers of 8990 Housing development with 30 non-uniformed individuals arrived to enforce a writ of execution by QC RTC judge Catherine P. Manodon declaring plaintiff Evangeline Puzon, now substituted by 8990 Dev. Corp, as the rightful possessor of the contested land within the VISTA CLASSICA REAL.

“We are mostly senior citizens and the presence of non-uniformed guards serving ejection notices is really terrifying, says homeowner Dindo Danao.

Their agony will not end soon because of a similar case pending in the Supreme court, GR 250747 (Sta. Lucia vs. Puzon) but quite sadly, the 19 homeowners are already terrorized and victims of collateral damage. And their heartbreaking story is clear evidence of the evil side of today’s real estate business.