The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is facing intense public and legislative scrutiny following allegations of administrative irregularities, constitutional violations, and conflict of interest involving senior management.
At the center of the growing controversy is DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and newly designated Undersecretary Leonido Pulido, whose appointment and sweeping authority over the agency’s procurement process have triggered a formal complaint submitted directly to Malacañang.
Complaint Filed with DBM and Malacañang
Based on a copy of a formal complaint obtained by media outlets and dated August 25, 2026, concerns were formally transmitted to Malacañang through the Office of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Robert de Leon.
The complaint raises sharp objections over Secretary Aguda’s decision to entrust the entire DICT procurement framework to “Undersecretary” Pulido, who only joined the department in April.
A major point of contention highlighted in the document is the personal relationship between the two officials. The complaint demands full clarification on whether their personal relationship played a decisive role in Pulido’s rapid elevation to a highly sensitive and lucrative post within the agency.
Questionable Designation and Constitutional Issues
The controversy extends beyond procurement oversight into potential violations of the Philippine Constitution.
Last month, Screencap Media reported that Atty. Pulido was originally appointed as an Assistant Secretary at the DBM in 2024. Documents showed that Secretary Aguda subsequently brought Pulido into the DICT via a lateral transfer. However, Aguda allegedly delegated full Undersecretary duties and authority to Pulido without an official appointment paper from the President of the Philippines.
In the Philippine context, appointments, specifically for cabinet-level rank positions such as Undersecretary, are executive prerogatives reserved strictly for the President. Department heads lack the legal authority to unilaterally promote or elevate personnel to executive positions without explicit presidential sanction.
The arrangement raises constitutional questions regarding Article IX-B, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution, which strictly prohibits double appointments and double compensation in government service unless explicitly authorized by law. Questions remain as to whether Pulido officially vacated his DBM position or continues to hold concurrent posts.
Pulido’s History and Pending Graft Case
Adding gravity to the issue is Pulido’s history. Pulido previously served as an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy (DOE) during the Duterte administration.
In 2022, then-Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Pulido, and two other officials in connection with the controversial 2019 Udenna-Malampaya transaction between Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation and Chevron Philippines (Caltex).
Following the filing of charges, the case advanced to the Sandiganbayan, which granted the accused temporary freedom. Pulido is currently out on bail after posting a P90,000 bond last year. Critics point out that entrusting multi-billion-peso IT procurement decisions to an official currently facing active graft charges before the anti-graft court compromises the integrity of public funds.
House Defunds DICT’s P18-Billion Proposed Budget
The cascading controversies have already produced severe legislative fallout. During the congressional budget deliberations on September 17, lawmakers refused to approve the DICT’s requested P18-billion budget for 2027.
House members cited the rampant administrative irregularities, unresolved governance issues and questionable procurement delegations within the agency as primary reasons for deferring approval.