Sen. Risa Hontiveros said it would be better if an education expert will head the education department in wake of the announcement that incoming Vice President Sara Duterte will be nominated for the post.
“I don’t know what the incoming presumptive vice president’s track record is in education. I would have guessed other education experts to helm that important department,” said Hontiveros, Thursday, in an interview with ANC.
She further said that the new agency chief should be in-charge of responding to the educational dilemmas caused by the pandemic, highlighting that DepEd receives the biggest cut on the national budget yearly, and that it is connected to combatting historical revisionism.
“Napakahalaga sana na ang hahawak ng education department—ang magpapatupad nung kaka-sponsor lang namin sa senado na Education Commission II, ang tutugon sa iba’t-ibang problemang sa ating namuong education crisis, pre-pandemic, up to during the pandemic until now—ay isang education expert,” Sen. Hontiveros added.
Echoing Hontiveros’s statement is the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), also saying that it would be of everyone’s preference to have the new DepEd secretary who was a former educator who understands the struggles of teachers.
Hontiveros is the sole candidate from the opposition in the senatorial magic 12 race, allied with presidential candidate VP Leni Robredo.
As of this writing, the re-electionist has over 15-million plus votes.