Briones attends Senate panel's laptop probe, says she's not hiding

Even though she was already allowed to leave, former Education secretary Leonor Briones opted to stay during Thursday's hours-long hearing by the Senate blue ribbon committee on the allegedly overpriced laptops procured by the Department of Education (DepEd) under her watch.

In her opening statement, Briones denied a vlogger's accusation that she is in hiding.

According to her, she is now director of Innotech, a regional facility hosted by the Philippines and has 11 member-countries from Southeast Asia.

"So I thank you for this opportunity to come out and say I am not hiding under somebody's bed. I am as visible as you can be. I am very involved in international debates, as well as concerns for developments in the Philippines," she said.

At one point, however, Senator Francis Tolentino, who chairs the committee, asked that Briones, 81, be checked by the Senate physician.

"We would like to thank Secretary Briones, again, I reiterate with the pressure ... that is why we ask the Senate physician to have you checked," Tolentino told Briones.

"As a chair of this committee I think, I can dispense with your presence right now. We thank you for your attendance although you are not required to stay for the length of the hearing," he added.

A video tweet by GMA News' Sandra Aguinaldo shows Briones on a wheelchair being brought to the Senate clinic during the hearing.

VIDEO: Fomer DEPED Sec. Leonor Briones dinala sa Senate clinic sa gitna ng pagdinig ng sinasabing overpriced na laptop para sa mga teacher. Ayon kay Briones, bukod sa pagpirma sa memorandum of agreement kasama ang PS-DBM ay hindi na raw sya tumutok sa proseso ng bidding.@gmanews pic.twitter.com/CqSUj0TZxY

— sandra aguinaldo (@sandraguinaldo) August 25, 2022

'I will stay'

Briones, in response, opted to stay, saying that she was interested in the questions and information coming out in connection with DepEd's procurement of the laptops, which was done through the Procurement Service under the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).

"I would like to express my gratitude to the blue ribbon committee for giving us this opportunity also to share this information and insights on this very sensitive issue," she said.

"I will stay as long as I can because I am very interested in the kinds of questions which are emerging and also the need for more information on the part of the blue ribbon committee as well as for the public."

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano encouraged Briones to give her insights and recommendations that will help the investigation on the procurement.

"I realize as a former secretary myself, afterwards in hindsight marami kayong nakikita na reform na puwede," said Cayetano, who headed the Department of Foreign Affairs during the Duterte administration.

"So please feel anytime to any member of the Senate individually or the committee in general to give your insights and recommendation because it will be most valuable to us," he added.

In its annual audit report on the DepEd for 2021, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the DepEd's purchase of laptops for teachers to implement distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COA said that the purchase of the more expensive laptops resulted in the procurement of fewer units, depriving over 28,000 teachers of the benefit.  —KBK, GMA News