Quezon City, Philippines – Several lawmakers expressed different views after Vice President Sara Duterte relinquished her position in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet.
From the beginning, members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives denounced Duterte’s appointment as Secretary of the Department of Education.
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Representative France Castro welcomed Duterte’s resignation from DepEd. sHe said it’s time to appoint an Education Secretary from within the sector.
Castro insisted that two years were wasted trying to fix the crisis in education, specifically regarding benefits, wages, and support for education personnel.
“Sa wakas ay nagresign na din sa DepEd si VP Sara, sana ay mas maaga niya ito ginawa para makapaglagay ng isang kalihim ng DepEd na galing talaga sa sektor ng edukasyon at alam ang kanyang ginagawa.“Castro said.
[VP Sara has finally resigned from DepEd, I wish he had done it sooner so that he could put a DepEd secretary who really comes from the education sector and knows what he is doing.]
“Nasayang ang dalawang taon para ayusin agad ang education crisis sa bansa at benepisyo at sahod ng mga guro at education support personnel,” Act-Teachers Partylist added.
[Two years were wasted to fix the education crisis immediately to the country and benefits and wages of teachers and education support personnel]
READ: TEACHER’S DIGNITY COALITION, NANAWAGAN SA BAGONG KALIHIM NG EDUKASYON
Meanwhile, the Gabriela Partylist views Duterte’s resignation from DepEd and NTF-ELCAC as a political stunt in preparation for the 2025 election.
Representative Arlene Brosas stressed that Duterte never intended to address the education crisis. She said the resignation underscores the urgency to appoint a new Secretary who will genuinely serve teachers and students.
“The resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary and co-chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is definitely a political move in preparation for the 2025 elections to set the stage for a potential power struggle between the Duterte and Marcos factions.” Brosas stated.
READ: VP DUTERTE RESIGNS AS EDUCATION CHIEF, VICE CHAIRMAN OF NTF-ELCAC
Kabataan Partylist Representative Raoul Manuel pointed out that Duterte’s assignment to the department with the largest amount of funds was a maneuver.
“She maneuvered to install herself as head of the department with one of the largest budgetary allocations in the government, at ngayong hindi na nakakatulong sa agenda niya ang manatili sa posisyon ay basta basta niya nalang itong iiwan.” Manuel pointed out.
The three legislators expect that Duterte’s resignation from NTF-ELCAC will signal the agency’s destruction, which they believe has become the root of red-tagging students and other progressive groups.
On the Senate side, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, acting chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, expressed gratitude for the good cooperation in improving the education system.