OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
Blue Ribbon Committee Hearing
August 25, 2022

Mr. Chairperson, I am going to keep this short and simple. Napakahalaga nitong discussion ngayong umaga tungkol sa overpriced laptops ng DepEd. Itong mga nagdaang araw, dahil first days of classes, nababalitaan natin sa news ang ibayong mga sakripisyo ng ating mga teachers para sa kanilang mga estudyante, para sa ating mga anak. While it is reprehensible if taxpayers' money is being used injudiciously, it is scandalous that it is our teachers carrying the weight of these injudicious - perhaps even corrupt - decisions. Sabi ng COA, 28,917 laptops ang hindi nabili dahil sa sinasabing overpricing na ito. 28,917 na mga guro at school administrators na dapat sana ay may magandang laptop pampagaan ng kanilang trabaho.

What is also appalling is that this seems to be the tip of the iceberg.

Natuklasan ng COA na ang PS-DBM ay nagpahintulot ng pagbili ng mga PPE na nagkakahalagang 1.39 billion pesos that were not certified as safe by the Food and Drug Administration o FDA.

Sa aming pagaaral ng available 2021 COA reports ay nakikita na napakaraming ahensya ng gobyerno ang may "unserved" and "unremitted" na pondo sa PS-DBM.

Halimbawa, ayon sa 2021 COA report ng PNP, "fund transfers to PDBM for the years 2010-2021 totaling P1.696 billion remain unserved and unliquidated depriving PNP of the use of the much-needed equipment and supplies."

Sa Bureau of Immigration naman, "unutilized/excess advances to PS DBM totaling P10,645,817.31 were not returned to the Bureau or remitted to the Bureau of Treasury."

Sa Bureau of Fire Protection naman "the accumulated balance of prior years' fund transfers of one to 16 years totaling P511.377 million remained unremitted to the Bureau of Treasury."

Wala pa po dito ang unliquidated advances amounting to tens of millions of pesos by various government agencies and attached agencies to PS-DBM.

Kitang kita na breeding ground ang PS-DBM ng inefficiency, negligence of duties at graft and corruption. I have supported the calls to abolish PS-DBM but we should not forget the wrongdoings of the past.

All those responsible for those irregularities should be held administratively and criminally liable.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.