2 women arrested for selling stolen laptop issued by DepEd

NOT FOR SALE The Department of Education logo appears on a laptop being offered for sale online. —JAM STA ROSA

The Quezon City police have arrested two women accused of selling online a laptop issued by the Department of Education (DepEd) under its computerization program.

Following the arrest of Salvacion Marco and Jellyn Gabito, Education Secretary Leonor Briones warned that DepEd and the Philippine National Police would go after those who steal and improperly use the department’s property.

Busted

Marco, 27 and Gabito, 30, were arrested on Sept. 7 inside a mall at Barangay Pasong Putik in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Earlier, DepEd employees asked for help from the Quezon City police after they spotted the department-issued laptop, a blue Coby, being sold on Facebook for P11,000. Its original price was pegged at nearly P40,000.

Upon verification, it was revealed that the laptop was stolen from a teacher in Kalinga province last month.

During the entrapment operation set up by the police, the DepEd logo appeared on the laptop screen when it was shown to the supposed buyer. This confirmed that it was indeed government property.

Hunt on for other suspects

Three more men who reportedly owned and supplied units to the suspects were now being hunted by authorities while the two women were charged with violating the Anti-Fencing Law.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Briones said since 2016, there have been at least 17 reported incidents of DepEd-issued gadgets being stolen.

Under the DepEd’s computerization program, public schools were provided with various technologies, including laptop units for mobile teachers, computer laboratory packages for secondary schools and e-classrooms for elementary schools.