Publisher: books at Recto not brand new

A book publisher asked by Education Secretary Raul Roco to explain alleged book smuggling cried foul yesterday over insinuations that they are behind the anomaly.

Necy Lorena, publisher of Dane Publishing House Inc., said they welcome any investigation into the matter. She, however, hopes that they will not be subjected to pre-judgment pending the probe.

"We also want this thoroughly investigated because it puts us in bad light. We value our integrity so much and we don’t want to do anything that will taint it," she said.

Roco had asked Dane Publishing, Fabi’s Enterprise and Ricsons Enterprise to explain how the textbooks that the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) commissioned them to print have found their way to book stalls on Recto.

The textbooks are marked "Government Property, Not For Sale," but are being sold openly on Recto for P120 to P140 apiece. The DECS bought the books for P60 to P100.

Roco believed that the textbooks were pilfered either from the warehouse of the publishing firms, during the delivery or from the school compound.

Upon learning of the irregularity over the weekend, Lorena had her relatives buy such textbooks on Recto last Sunday. She revealed that the two textbooks bought by her relatives were second hand.

"This means that the books had already been delivered to the schools," Lorena said. — Sheila Crisostomo