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Abolition of PS-DBM: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III says he fully agrees with the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Committee which investigated the alleged overpriced and outdated laptops procured by the Department of Education (DEPED) through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) to abolish the PS-DBM. “May I know why it has taken this long for the executive branch to grant or pay attention to this call to abolish the PS-DBM? Is the PS-DBM a creation of law? Does it need a law to repeal that measure creating the PS-DBM or can the abolition of the PS-DBM be done by an executive order? Pimentel asked during the interpellation period on Committee Report No. 19 Tuesday, February 7, 2023. According to Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Francis “Tol” Tolentino, PS-DBM was created by law. He said PS-DBM was created during the time when the President was allowed to issue presidential decrees and letters of instructions. Based on his research, Pimentel said, PS-DBM was created under a letter of instruction by then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)