VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday ruled out the possibility of accepting another Cabinet post under the Marcos administration, saying she would focus her time and energy on her role as the second-highest elected official in the country.
“Hindi na ako mag-si-serve in another Cabinet post under the Marcos administration (I will no longer serve in another Cabinet post under the Marcos administration),” Duterte told reporters in a brief interview after formally turning over the reins of the Education Department to Sen. Sonny Angara.
She said the Office of the Vice President has many projects such as providing medical and burial assistance to the needy and training for public school teachers that she could focus on.
This way, she said her time would not be divided into going to her office at the OVP and the DepEd or another Cabinet post.
Duterte also reiterated that her relationship with President Marcos Jr. remained “okay” despite her decision to resign as DepEd chief.
She earlier said she would not attend the President’s 3rd State of the Nation Address on July 22, having named herself the designated survivor.
This remark earned criticisms, including from several lawmakers who said it was a thinly veiled threat.
Duterte said First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos had nothing to do with her decision to quit her Cabinet post, adding it was due to personal reasons.
“No. Kasi wala namang kinalaman si First Lady sa trabaho namin ni President Marcos (No. The First Lady has nothing to do with my and the President’s job),” Duterte told reporters.
Duterte, who resigned last month, did not cite any reason for her decision.
However, she was noticeably absent in several events before her resignation, such as when Marcos signed the law granting additional allowance to public school teachers.
Last year, lawmakers denied Duterte’s request for P150 million in confidential and intelligence funds for the Education Department.
Members of the Duterte clan also began lambasting Marcos, with Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte publicly calling on him to resign.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte also accused Marcos of using illegal drugs, with the latter firing back, saying his predecessor was on fentanyl.
Last April, the First Lady said she was not on good terms with the Vice President, adding she was offended when she saw Sara laughing at her father’s claim that the President was under the influence of drugs.
Pressed to state the reason for her decision to quit as DepEd chief, Duterte said she needed to sit down with reporters.
“There are personal reasons between me and President Marcos which stem from what we talked about before I decided to run for vice president. Some are work-related, and some are related to the country. It is a long story,” she said.
She also said she would have wanted to finish all the education deliverables of the Marcos administration.
“I really loved this job (DepEd secretary). I have regrets because I wanted to fix several things, the deliverables,” she said.
