Oops… ay mali!

The notorious PS-DBM – Procurement Service of the Dept. of Budget and Management – is at it again.

Summoned before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, this time over overpriced and outdated laptops for teachers, PS-DBM officials, together with folks from the Dept. of Education, said the whole P2.4-billion fiasco was the result of “honest mistake.”

It was a mistake daw for DepEd to hand over the procurement to PS-DBM and to not even read the agreement – signed by the then DepEd secretary no less – which included compliance with the “Food and Drug Law.” Ay mali!

It was a mistake when a PS-DBM official certified that suppliers had complied with required documentation when nobody had actually looked at whether these were really compliant. Huh?

PS-DBM’s “darling of Pharmally” undersecretary tried to wash his hands of the laptop deal, claiming he had nothing to do with it, until it was pointed out that he had signed the procurement memorandum. Oops.

The senators were right in doubting this “honest mistake” excuse of these officials. If they are really so incompetent to have committed these “mistakes” then they should immediately and irrevocably RESIGN.

But if it’s not that honest a mistake – which seems the more likely scenario – then they should be investigated, suspended while being investigated and fully held to account for their “dishonest” mistakes.

By the way, why is that “darling of Pharmally” undersecretary seem to still be holding court at the PS-DBM? And how many other “honest” mistakes have occurred in PS-DBM deals in these last few years?

The best thing to do is really, as the Blue Ribbon chairman said, say “Goodbye, PS-DBM” – and good riddance. – Liberty M. Garcia, Malabon