Malacañang on Wednesday fired back at Vice President Sara Duterte after she claimed the Philippines is being left behind in education, saying her criticisms only highlight her own shortcomings during her two-year stint as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro stressed that Duterte had ample time to address the sector’s problems but ended up a "complete failure" as secretary of Education.
“Binigyan po siya ng pagkakataon, pinagkatiwalaan siya ng Pangulo since 2022 hanggang 2024 para maging DepEd secretary. Dalawang taon halos na siya ay dapat nagtrabaho kung anuman ang kaniyang nirereklamo, dapat natupad na po sana niya ito sa kaniyang panahon," Castro said.
"Ang pagtitiwalang ito ay sa kaniyang reklamo ngayon, nagri-reflect lamang na bilang siya ay naging DepEd secretary ay a complete failure," she added.
Meanwhile, Castro assured teachers, students, and parents that the current DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara has been working to modernize classrooms and address long-standing backlogs.
She noted that more than 1.5 million gadgets, laptops, and teaching materials—procured as early as 2020 but left unused—were distributed only this year under Angara’s leadership.
"Ang ating DepEd secretary, Secretary Angara ay nililinis naman kung anuman ang dumi na naiwan noong nakaraan," Castro emphasized.
The Palace statement came after Duterte, speaking in Kuwait, lamented that Filipino students are still “stuck with paper and pencils” while other countries have advanced further in education.
Duterte’s foreign trips
Asked whether all of her travels were cleared by the Office of the President, Castro confirmed that Duterte’s trips had proper travel authority.
"'Yung travel po ng Bise Presidente natuloy din po ‘yung sa Kuwait, ‘yan naman po ay may travel agency. Hindi naman po siya mapipigilang umalis mga araw na gusto niyang umalis. So cleared naman po iyon, may travel authority po," she stated.
When pressed on calls from lawmakers to release travel records of all public officials, Castro stated it was their obligation to do so, noting that President Marcos regularly informs the public about his foreign engagements and outcomes.
"Obligasyon naman po nila iyon," she said. "Kung gusto po nilang ilabas, basta po ang Pangulo kapag po lumalabas alam naman po ng media at ipinapaalam po at nagri-report ng mga pangyayari at kaniyang maaaring nakuha na mga investments at para sa mga turismo, nagri-report po ang Pangulo."
Currently, Sara Duterte is in Paris, France, for a meet and greet with Pinoy supporters.
