New DepEd chief known by end of week

MANILA, Philippines — While Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation as Department of Education secretary will take effect on July 19, President Marcos said he would name her replacement by the end of the week, saying the DepEd performs a vital function and should not be left without a leader.

Speaking to reporters in Manila yesterday, Marcos cited the need to continue the work in DepEd despite the change in leadership, describing the agency as “arguably the most important department.”

“Well, you know, we have to carry on and the Department of Education is quite possibly, arguably, the most important department because education is that important. So, no matter the change of leadership within the department, we still have to carry on... I would like to be able to announce the appointment of the new DepEd Secretary by the end of the week,” the President said.

“We cannot leave it open. Their work is important. We cannot just leave it like that, without a secretary. So, I am fast-tracking everything. I said give me several names... Do we need an educator? Do we need an administrator? Do we need an accountant? What do we need? And that is what we are trying to determine right now.”

Marcos said his administration is also determining the status and the needs of the DepEd, whose sector receives the highest allocation from the national budget every year as required by the 1987 Constitution.

Duterte resigned as DepEd secretary and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on June 19. Her resignation, which came in the midst of the souring relationship between her family and the Marcoses, is to take effect on July 19.

After tendering her resignation, she told reporters she had given her 30-day notice to ensure the proper and orderly transition for the benefit of the next secretary.

Marcos said Duterte did not say why she quit her post.

“She didn’t give any reasons. I asked her, are there any particular reasons why she has chosen to resign from the Department of Education and the NTF-ELCAC, and she said, ‘Let’s not talk about it’ so I did not force the issue,” the President said.

While she is no longer part of the