Manila: The Office of the Ombudsman has mandated the filing of criminal charges against former Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones and 13 others. They are accused of involvement in the procurement of laptops worth PHP2.4 billion for public school teachers during the pandemic lockdowns.

According to Philippines News Agency, a 106-page resolution dated July 4 outlines that there is probable cause to file charges under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019), as well as for falsification and perjury. The charges are directed at DepEd officials Annalyn Sevilla, Alain Pascua, Salvador Malana III, Abram Abanil, Marcelo Bragado, Alex Ladanga, and Selwyn Briones. Additionally, Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) officials Lloyd Christopher Lao, Jasonmer Uayan, Ulysses Mora, Marwan Amil, and Paul Estrada, along with Froilan Demongo from the joint venture of Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading, Inc., and VST ECS Phils. Inc., are named as respondents.

A report from the Commission on Audit in 2022 flagged the acquisition of 39,000 laptops at a price of PHP58,300 each. The report alleged that the laptops were 'outdated and overpriced.' During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry that same year, officials from DepEd and PS-DBM claimed that a shortage in electronic chip production and increased demand due to work-from-home setups led to the price surge.