5 DepEd executives quit

FIVE high-ranking officials of the Department of Education, including Undersecretary and spokesperson Michael Poa, resigned almost a month after Vice President Sara Duterte quit as Education chief last June.

“I think it is only appropriate to give the incoming Secretary of Education, Secretary Sonny Angara, a free hand to choose the people that will form part of his team,” Poa said in a Viber message.

Angara said “we respect” the decision of department officials “who tendered their courtesy resignations ahead of our assumption” as agency head.

“We eagerly anticipate taking on our new role this Friday. Any appropriate appointments will be announced soon as we intend to hit the ground running and drive immediate progress,” Angara said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Angara to head the DepEd last July 2.

Asked if he would still work with Duterte in the Office of the Vice President, Poa said: “I will just wait for instructions from the Vice President, if any.”

Before his appointment to the DepEd, Poa served as chief of staff of the Government Service Insurance System and a member of its editorial board from 2011 to 2013.

Aside from Poa, DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Nolasco Mempin, Assistant Secretary for Procurement Reynold Munsayac, Assistant Secretary for Administration Noel Baluyan and Assistant Secretary-Office of the Secretary Sunshine Fajarda also tendered their resignations.

Mempin and Baluyan are retired military officers.

Mempin was a former commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division based in Mawab, Compostela Valley (now Davao de Oro) and head of Task Force Davao when Sara Duterte served as mayor of Davao City.

Baluyan was the assistant division commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division based in Jamindan, Capiz before he retired in 2022. – With Raymond Africa