Sara urges Remulla to probe Zaldy Co over laptop scam

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla to probe former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who is allegedly involved in the corruption surrounding laptops procured by the Department of Education (DepEd).

Duterte said that if the Ombudsman is truly serious about investigating corruption, they should also look into the DepEd's laptop procurement scandal, as she alleged that Co's firm, Sunwest, served as one of the contractors for the laptops.

"I know that because we conducted our own investigation within the Department of Education when I was the secretary of DepEd. May I just say that there were confidential funds allocated for that investigation," she said in a press briefing in Zamboanga.

In 2023, the Ombudsman suspended 12 DepEd and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials for six months without pay in connection with the allegedly overpriced purchase of laptops for teachers amounting to P2.4 billion during the Duterte administration.

The procurement took place during the previous administration, with Leonor Briones serving as DepEd secretary.

Auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that DepEd paid P58,300 for each laptop—even though the approved budget for the contract was only P35,046.50 per unit—resulting in an excess of P23,253.50 per unit.

The purchase was made through the Procurement Service of the DBM (PS-DBM), the same agency involved in the controversial multi-billion peso procurement of face masks, personal protective equipment, and other COVID-19 supplies from Pharmally Corporation—despite the company having only a paid-up capital of over P600,000.

According to COA, the 66 percent price increase forced DepEd to scale down its original plan to provide laptops to 68,500 teachers, reducing the number to just 39,583.