Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21) — The Department of Education (DepEd) said its investigation showed the alleged overpriced camera that went viral was given by a local government unit to one of its division offices.
The DepEd gave the update on Monday, weeks after allegations were made online that it procured a Canon DSLR camera for nearly ₱156,000 when similar models are sold for ₱23,000.
The original Facebook post, which came from a photojournalist, was deleted shortly after it was shared.
“The Department has traced the now-deleted post of photojournalist Jhun Dantes, and shared by the account of a certain Renato Reyes, of a Canon 1500D camera with a DepEd sticker attached indicating an acquisition cost of ₱155,929, as a property of the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Imus City,” the DepEd wrote in a statement.
The agency also clarified it had no participation in the procurement process.
\”DepEd continues to call on netizens to be circumspect in their posts to ensure that no misinformation is propagated,\” it added.
The allegation came after the Commission on Audit reported last year that the DepEd bought overpriced and outdated laptops for teachers in 2021.
Last month, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said the laptops, which DepEd purchased through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), were found to be overpriced by ₱979 million.
The Senate panel recommended the filing of graft and corruption charges against former and present DepEd officials, as well as former DBM procurement service head Lloyd Christopher Lao over the procurement deal.
