Senate blue ribbon panel invited dead lawyer, wrong IT expert in DepEd laptop probe

The Senate blue ribbon committee has invited a dead lawyer and the wrong information technology (IT) expert to the panel's investigation into the reported pricey and outdated Department of Education (DepEd) laptops.

At the early part of the hearing, Senate blue ribbon committee chairperson Francis Tolentino informed the panel that Atty. Jose Floro Crisologo had passed away.

Crisologo reportedly notarized the memorandum of agreement between the DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM)  last February 16,2021 for the laptop procurement.

"I was informed last night that Attorney Crisologo cannot be present here today because Attorney Crisologo is already dead. So we are trying to secure a certified copy... of his death certificate and the actual cause of his death," Tolentino said.

Once the Senate panel received a copy of Crisologo's death certificate, Tolentino said they will delist the lawyer from the list of persons required to appear before the committee.

At the latter part of the hearing, the senators learned that the actual MOA for the P2.4 billion laptop project transferred by the DepEd to the PS-DBM was only signed in May 2021.

In the last hearing, PS-DBM officers stated that they are unaware of a signed MOA between the two government agencies which was notarized on February 16,2021.

At the same hearing, Tolentino was asking National Bureau of Investigation Cyber Investigation and Assessment Center Head Agency Palmer Mallari about the technical specifications of the laptops.

However, Mallari informed the panel that there was a "confusion" as they thought they were invited in their capacity as cybercrime investigators.

"Iba po kasi yung cybercrime investigation and computer hardware po. Ang aming digital forensics laboratory, and division sa NBI ang may specialization po as far as computer hardware is concerned," Mallari said.

Tolentino asked if they are not qualified as expert-witness on the issue, Mallari responded: "Not an expert on the quality and inferiorities or superiorities of computers and hardware."

Later on, Atty. Jeremy Lotoc of the NBI Digital Forensic Laboratory said that the government is at the disadvantage on the laptop deal but he told the panel that they need to conduct an actual comparison on the laptops to provide the NBI's official position on the issue.

"Based on this issue, on our impression, this is just a personal opinion, it will not reflect the final position of the NBI but I think the government is in a disadvantaged position based on the record that we have but we need to conduct an actual comparison so that we can submit the official position of the NBI vis-a-vis the issue at hand, if you, may your honor," he said.—LDF, GMA News