Malacañang defends DepEd's purchase of 166 brand new vehicles

Malacañang sees nothing wrong with the Department of Education (DepEd) buying 166 new vehicles, including 88 trucks which worth P370-million, with DepEd saying that it can be used to deliver modules for its distance learning.

Unang una, 2019 budget yan. Yung kanilang need was assessed as early as 2016. At ngayon po, kailangang kailangan po ng DepEd yan dahil nga po kinakailangan i-deliver ang modules sa mga malalayong lugar all over the Philippines,

presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said when sought for comment on the issue.

[First of all, that is from 2019 budget. Their need was assessed as early as 2016. And now, the DepEd needs to deliver modules in far-flung areas all over the Philippines.]

Roque added that everything that is being procured this year have been on the drawing board for a long time. The purchase of DepEd transportation was identified as a need on 2016 and it was only bought now but its included in the 2019 budget.

DepEd’s purchase of the vehicles was criticized, with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers saying it was an insensible use of education money while teachers shoulder costs for internet connectivity, among others.

Bakit yan po ang brand? Yan po ang nanalo sa bidding, talaga naman pong lahat ng government procurement dumadaan po yan sa public bidding, yan po yung pinakamababang responsive bid na nakuha ng DepEd,

Roque said.

[Why choose that brand? It won the bidding. All government procurement undergo public bidding and that is the lowest responsive bid that DepEd received.]

Alam niyo, ultimately it’s a matter of trusting the head of the office. I trust the President trusts and the entire Filipino nation trusts professor emeritus Leonor Briones. Number one kasangga po natin siya laban po sa korapsyon,

he added.

[You know what, ultimately, it’s a matter of trusting the head of the office. I trust the President trusts and the entire Filipino nation trusts professor emeritus Leonor Briones. She is our number one partner against corruption.]

He said it will be a great help for DepEd engineers for their inspections in far flung areas. Roque added that the vehicles will also be used for potential calamities like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions — conditions requiring 4×4 pickup trucks.