VICE President and outgoing Education Secretary Sara Duterte yesterday ordered all education officials to remain in their posts until her successor, Sen. Sonny Angara, replaces them.
Last Tuesday, two DepEd undersecretaries and three assistant secretaries tendered their resignation, including Undersecretary Michael Poa, Duterte’s chief of staff and DepEd spokesperson.
Duterte told reporters in Cebu City that she issued the order to DepEd officials when she met with them for dinner last month.
“I told them, please stay until the new secretary removes you because, otherwise, it will be detrimental to the department, “she said in her native dialect, adding she specifically made the order to undersecretaries and assistant secretaries.
But Duterte acknowledged that some of them have said they are leaving or have filed their resignation.
Aside from Poa, also resigning were 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.
Duterte said two of those who decided to resign would still work for her at the Office of the Vice President but declined to name them.
Duterte said she has yet to meet with Angara due to their busy schedules but added that a short meeting between them had been arranged today, Thursday.
“I was able to set a short meeting with him before tomorrow right before the turnover. As soon as our President named our new secretary, we already acceded to a turnover meeting with the different undersecretaries and assistant secretaries called for by Sec. Angara,” she added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Angara as the new DepEd chief last July 2.
