A MALACAÑANG official yesterday said Vice President Sara Duterte was a “complete failure” as an education secretary, noting that she had a chance to address the issues and improve the country’s education system while she was a member of the Marcos Cabinet.
Palace Press Office Claire Castro said the Vice President was “given a chance” by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when she was appointed as DepEd chief, a post she held for nearly two years.
“Kung anuman ang kanyang inirereklamo, dapat natupad na po sana niya ito sa kanyang panahon. Ang kanyang reklamo ngayon, nagri-reflect lamang na bilang siya ay naging DepEd secretary ay, a complete failure (Whatever it is that she is complaining about, she should have addressed it during her time. Her complaint now only reflects that, as a former DepEd secretary, she was a complete failure),” Castro said in a briefing in Malacanang.
She added that whatever mess Duterte had left behind at the DepEd is now being cleared and resolved by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, among them the 1.5 million gadgets, laptops, and other teaching materials that were left unused since 2020, which were finally updated, fixed and now being used.
Duterte, during her recent visit in Kuwait, said the Philippines is lagging behind other countries in terms of education as the country remains stuck in a “paper and pencil.”
She said the Philippines takes a long time to catch up with other countries that are more modern, where students are already learning about robotics and coding, and children start learning how to read at ages three or four.
TRAVEL DISCLOSURE
Castro, meanwhile, said the disclosure of foreign travel records of government officials is left to the discretion of each official.
Castro made the statement amid calls for the release of the travel documents of officials after it was reported that the Vice President had gone abroad at least 11 times this year, surpassing the President’s five foreign trips.
She said all the foreign trips of Duterte were authorized and had been issued the appropriate travel authority.
She said that while a public official must report to the country about the results of their foreign trip, which is what the President had been doing all along, it is still up to the discretion of the official if they want to release it or not.
“Basta po ang Pangulo kapag po lumalabas, alam naman po ng media at ipinapaalam po at nagre-report ng mga pangyayari at kanyang maaaring nakuha na mga investments at para sa mga turismo, nagre-report po ang Pangulo (As far as the President is concerned, whenever he travels, the media is informed and reports on the events, including investment and tourism gains),” she said.
