Marcos hopes to name next DepEd chief as soon as possible

President Marcos said on Thursday he is rushing to review potential candidates for the next Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), hoping to make an announcement soon following the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from her Cabinet positions.

The Chief Executive stressed the urgency of appointing a new DepEd chief to avoid disruptions in the department’s operations, citing its importance for the Filipinos.

“We can’t leave it (DepEd) open. Their work is important. We can’t just leave it like that with no secretary. That’s why I’m rushing everything,” the President told reporters in an informal interview.

“Do we need a teacher? Do we need an administrator? Do we need an accountant? What do we need? … That’s what we’re trying to figure out right now,” he added.

President Marcos said he was left with no choice but to “carry on” after the Vice President decided to quit his Cabinet. “We have to carry on… because education is that important. So, no matter the change of leadership in the department, we still have to carry on,” he said.

He reiterated that Duterte did not give any reason for her departure, which he respected. “She didn’t give any reasons. I asked her if there’s a specific reason (why) she’s quitting… and she just said ‘let’s not talk about it,’ so I didn’t push it,” he said.

Duterte tendered her resignation as DepEd Secretary and Vice Chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) last week, which raised questions and concerns about the alliance between her and the President.

Many experts believed her decision stemmed from the continuous trading of barbs between President Marcos and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte, however, clarified she remains friendly with President Marcos despite leaving his Cabinet.

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