Sotto questions PCOO purchase of high-end laptops only for 'Davao team use'

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday questioned the Presidential Communications Operations Office's (PCOO) purchase of high-end laptops solely for the use of its team in Davao City.

In the Senate deliberations on PCOO's 2022 proposed budget, Sotto bared that the Radio TV Malacañang purchased eight high-end laptops which cost a total of over P2 million. He said the laptops cost P280,000 each.

But upon checking, Sotto's staff said the most expensive laptop in 2021 was valued at P190,000.

"One of the items in presidential broadcast staff, Radio TV Malacañang which purchased under its capital outlay, eight laptops for video editing and Davao Team Use," Sotto said.

"Amounting to P2,204,000 as provided in the briefing materials in the committee," he added. 

"When my staff computed the cost of one unit of laptop... based on the data, one unit of laptop P280,000. Parang mahal sabi ng staff ko," Sotto said.

[It seems expensive, my staff said.]

Sotto asked why the laptops were set aside for the Davao team.

"My staff was able to search for the best video editing laptops in 2021 and the most expensive laptop they were able to find is worth P190,000," Sotto said. 

"Can we get an explanation as to why the agency would purchase a laptop as expensive as this one and why it is entitled to Davao team use only," he added.

In response, Senator Richard Gordon, who was a sponsor of the PCOO budget, said the laptops were extremely high-end and were  needed in Davao City where President Rodrigo Duterte was "always" staying.

"It is extremely high-end laptops and the reason why it is being called to Davao is because the president is always there and they needed something there," said Gordon, quoting the PCOO team.

Sotto then appealed to PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar to explain these findings.

"We will expect Secretary Andanar to do something about the incidents and what's happening in the People's Television Network," said Sotto.

Gordon said Andanar would come up with a report on the expensive laptops.

"Your questions are very, very appropriate and I think that they deserve a very, very good answer. And Secretary Andanar will do something about it. He assures me," Gordon.

The Senate finance committee had allocated P1.638 billion for PCOO's national budget for next year.

The upper chamber's deliberations on the proposed 2022 national budget is still ongoing. -NB, GMA News