The Office of the Ombudsman has formally recommended the filing of criminal charges against former Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones and former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Christopher Lao in connection with the allegedly overpriced ₱2.4-billion laptop procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two face multiple charges including violation of Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, falsification by public officials under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), and perjury under Article 183 of the RPC.
The laptops, purchased in 2020 for the DepEd’s online learning program, were reportedly priced at ₱58,300 each despite having outdated Celeron processors — a point of concern flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA), which deemed the deal excessive and irregular.
According to the Ombudsman, the shift in procurement parameters — specifically lowering the quantity and inflating the unit price — enabled the overpricing, resulting in “undue injury and gross disadvantage to the government.”
“The new bidding parameters, i.e. lower quantity and higher unit price, were reflected in the bidding documents and was used in the bidding process… These parameters facilitated the overprice and the consequent undue injury and gross disadvantage to the government,” the Ombudsman said.
Other former DepEd and DBM officials involved in the transaction were also recommended for prosecution.
Briones has said she will consult with her legal counsel regarding the charges while Lao has yet to issue a statement.
Current Education Secretary Sonny Angara assured the public that the department will cooperate with the Ombudsman to address and clarify the matter.