Pimentel dares top execs: Fix PS-DBM, try to save it from abolition

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Friday challenged Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Executive Director Dennis Santiago of the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (PS-DBM) to fix the agency and try to save it from dissolution.

"Kaya nga paulit-ulit ang aking challenge, hamon kay new Executive Director ng PS-DBM, si Atty. Santiago na save your agency kasi kung wala tayong makitang  talagang brilliant, 'yung talagang kahanga-hangan na pagbabago. Tama na sigurong 'Goodbye, PS-DBM na," Pimentel said in a virtual interview with reporters.

Pimentel noted that there is a prevailing sentiment among members of the blue ribbon committee to abolish the PS-DBM. 

Also, the senator said that the challenge is not only directed at Santiago but also at Pangandaman, emphasizing that the bad image of the PS-DBM will also affect the reputation of its mother agency.

"It's a challenge, it's still a challenge to the new head of the PS-DBM, as well as the Secretary of the DBM. Alam mo, kung nasisira ang PS-DBM, nasisira ang DBM. Di ba logical yon? Sirang-sira na itong PS-DBM, hindi ba sira din, masisira din ang imahe ng mother agency?" he pointed out.

"Ayusin ninyo ang PS-DBM and lets have some spectacular achievements. Pero kung wala, kunyari cosmetic lang...eh hindi po impressive changes yan. Sa ngayon, I can say na ang prevailing na sentimyento dyan sa committee or at least sa mga nag-attend sa hearing is 'Goodbye, PS-DBM' na," he added.

Pimentel said if there are no changes seen within the PS-DBM, the abolition of the agency may be prudent as government bodies already have their own Bids and Awards Committees (BAC) under the law.

At a budget briefing at the House of Representatives on Friday, Pangandaman called on lawmakers to give them a chance to address the issues hounding PS-DBM.

“I think, if we give the chance to PS-DBM and if we clean the process of procurement in the PS-DBM, maybe we can go back to its old glory,” she told the House Committee on Appropriations.

Pangandaman also said they will defer to the wisdom of the Congress regarding the fate of PS-DBM.

In a Viber message to GMA News Online, Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran reiterated Pangandman's position that the DBM will defer to the wisdom of the Congress if they seek to abolish PS-DBM.

During the House hearing, Pangandaman mentioned that during the time of Finance chief Benjamin Diokno as Budget secretary from 2017 to 2019, the government is saving around P18 billion due to the operations of the PS-DBM.

The current PS-DBM controversy arose after the Commission on Audit reported that it entered into an agreement with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the procurement of 'outdated and pricey' laptops to be used by public school teachers for the implementation of distance learning.

The blue ribbon committee on Thursday launched its investigation on the issue.

Pimentel, on the other hand, urged COA to conduct a fraud audit on the matter as this will authorize state auditors to conduct a deeper study on the laptop procurement.

"Judgement [call] na po 'yan ng COA [to conduct a special audit], pero ganito na sumasabog ang mga issues pinatulan na rin ng Kongreso, I urge the COA to exercise their power, their authority or right to conduct a fraud audit," Pimentel said.

During the blue ribbon committee hearing Thursday, it was revealed that the DepEd and the PS-DBM had signed a hastily-drafted memorandum of agreement for the laptop procurement.

Another PS-DBM procurement officer also admitted that they have "missed out" on getting the statement of compliance from one of the four suppliers that responded to the agency's price analysis for the laptop procurement.

On Thursday, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros joined the call for the abolition of the controversial PS-DBM over the laptop purchase issue.

However, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said punishing the government officials involved in corrupt practices is the solution, not the abolition of the agency.

Earlier, several senators including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Imee Marcos called for the abolition of PS-DBM. —LBG/KBK, GMA News