Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8) — The new chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) plans to conduct a “thorough examination” of the cost and technical specifications of the laptops procured for the Department of Education during the Duterte administration, which were flagged by the Commission on Audit as pricey.

The COA is seeking an explanation why the entry-level laptops purchased by DepEd through PS-DBM cost over P58,000 each when the estimated price approved was only P35,046.50.

Should the records prove that there are indeed instances of non-compliance with the law and procurement rules, rest assured that we will never tolerate it, PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago said in a statement on Sunday.

The PS-DBM, under my watch, shall fully cooperate to address the Commission on Audits findings and recommendations regarding the procurement of P2.4-billion worth of laptops for the Department of Education in 2021, he added.

DepEd earlier passed the buck to PS-DBM, saying it is the agency that can best respond to the points raised by the COA.

Santiago said he will ensure that the processes of PS-DBM will be transparent and competitive under his watch.

The COA earlier said that the cost of the laptops resulted in the significant decrease in the number of units provided to teachers — from the original 68,500 units to just 39,583 because of the more expensive cost. It added the feedback gathered from the National Capital Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region was that the laptops given to teachers were slow as the processors were outdated.