Ipinasususpinde ng Office of the Ombudsman si Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla dahil sa umano’y pagkakasangkot sa overpricing ng laptops para sa mga public school teachers na nagkakahalaga ng P4.5 bilyon.
Sinabi ni Ombudsman Samuel Martires na nakitaan nila ng sapat na ebidensiya upang ilagay sa preventive suspension si Sevilla at 11 iba pang opisyal ng DepEd at Department of Budget and Management na nahaharap sa kasong grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, at gross neglect of duty kaugnay sa mga biniling laptop.
Bukod sa sobrang mahal ang pagkakabili, sinabi ng Ombudsman na lumitaw sa imbestigasyon na “outdated” o pinaglumaan na ang mga kontrobersiyal na laptop na binili ng DepEd noong kasagsagan ng COVID-19 pandemic.
Ang iba pang ipinasususpinde ng anim na buwan na walang sahod ay sina dating DepEd undersecretary Alain del Pascua; dating Department of Budget and Management undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao; DepEd Assistant Secretary for Administration and Procurement Salvador Malana III; Director Abram Abanil ng Information and Communications Technology Services (ICTS); Director Jasonmar Uayan, officer-in-charge, executive director, Procurement Service-DBM; Ulysees Mora, procurement management officer, PS-DBM at designated chairperson ng Special Bids and Awards Committeee (SBAC) 1; Marwin Amil, designated provisional member, SBAC-1; Alec Ladanga, Executive Assistant IV, Office of Undersecretary Sevilla, DepEd; Marcelo Bragado, Director IV, Procurement Management Service, DepEd; Selwyn Briones, Supervising Administrative Officer, DepEd; at Paul Armand Estrada, Procurement Management Officer V, PS-DBM at Designated Regular Member, SBAC-1.
Iginiit ng Ombudsman na ang suspension ay “immediately executory” base sa Section 27 of Ombudsman Law.
Samantala, tiniyak ng liderato ng DepEd na agad nitong ipatutupad ang naturang kautusan.
“Meanwhile, the Department reassures the public of its unhampered services as we prepare for a safe and orderly opening of School Year 2023-2024,” ayon sa kalatas ng Kagawaran.