Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Oct. 14, revealed that confidential funds were used to support her internal probe into the Department of Education’s (DepEd) controversial laptop procurement, as she urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the alleged involvement of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co in the illegal deals.
“Kasi kung talagang seryoso ang Ombudsman sa pag-iimbestiga, imbestigahan nila ‘yung laptop corruption scandal ng Department of Education. Nandoon si Zaldy Co,” Duterte said during a press briefing in Zamboanga City.
She named SunWest, a company allegedly linked to Co, as the contractor behind the overpriced laptops.
“SunWest ang contractor ng laptop doon sa DepEd,” she added.
Earlier, Duterte said she wouldn’t have appointed newly installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to the office if she was president.
“At alam ko ‘yun dahil gumawa kami ng sarili naming investigation sa loob ng Department of Education noong ako ay Department of Education secretary. May I just say na merong confidential funds na pumunta doon sa paghahanap ng ebidensya sa investigation na ‘yun,” she claimed.
Co has been accused of amassing billions of pesos in public funds from anomalous and ghost infrastructure projects.
He is also being accused of masterminding irregular insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Duterte, who earlier said Co and former speaker Martin Romualdez were the only two persons controlling the public coffers, questioned the flow of the investigation into the corruption issues.
“Bakit pinipili? Kaya natin nasasabi lahat na merong controlling the narrative ay dahil pinipili nila kung ano ‘yung gusto nila imbestigahan,” she explained.
“At kung napapansin nyo, kapag medyo tatamaan na o merong tatamaan o tatamaan na talaga ang Office of the President, ang administration sa imbestigasyon ay biglang namamatay ‘yung imbestigasyon o nawawala, o nalilibing, o nalulubog ‘yung imbestigasyon. So ibig sabihin meron talagang pagkontrol sa kwento,” she pointed out.
The Vice President also lamented that the current administration has not been doing anything but engage in politics.
He said the government’s only “objective” now is politicking and “perpetuation in power.”
“Wala naman ginagawa itong gobyerno na ito kundi number one, mamulitika. And number two, ubusin ang budget ng Pilipinas sa corruption. So ‘yan lang ‘yun ang ginagawa nila sa totoo lang. Mayroon ba kayong nakikitang project? Wala,” she added. (Raymund Antonio)
