President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been informed of allegations that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) procured overpriced body cameras, Malacañang confirmed Monday.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President has asked PPA General Manager Jay Santiago to explain the issue. Santiago maintained that the procurement followed standard procedures and did not involve advance payments.
“The unit cost cannot be computed by simply dividing the total contract price by the number of cameras,” the PPA said, explaining that the contract also covers nationwide connectivity, servers, software, training, and system integration.
Castro said the Department of Transportation, led by Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, has issued a memorandum seeking a formal explanation from Santiago.
Relevant documents, including Commission on Audit reports, have been requested for a possible investigation.
The PPA faces scrutiny after reports compared its body camera prices to lower-priced commercial models. Castro assured that due process will be observed and any irregularities will be addressed.
