FIVE senior officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) have tendered their courtesy resignations to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give the new leadership a "clean slate" in choosing his own team.
The five officials who sent their resignations to Marcos were chief of staff and longtime department spokesman Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa, Undersecretary for Administration Nolasco Mempin, Assistant Secretary for the Office of the Secretary Sunshine Fajarda, Assistant Secretary for Procurement Reynold Munsayac, and Assistant Secretary for Administration Noel Baluyan.
The resignations were revealed by incoming Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara during a chance interview with reporters on Tuesday at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority office in Pasig City.
Poa said their resignations are effective on July 19, 2024, the day Vice President Sara Duterte is set to leave her post as education secretary.
"I think it is only appropriate to give the incoming secretary of education, Secretary Angara, a free hand to choose the people that will form part of his team," Poa told reporters in a message.
Poa said that he would wait for instructions from the vice president if there would be any plans for him.
Angara said he respects the decisions of the officials who resigned.
"We eagerly anticipate taking on our new role this Friday. Any appropriate appointments will be announced soon as we intend to hit the ground running and drive immediate progress," Angara added.
In a statement, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said that the recent resignations would give Angara the opportunity to form his own team that would be committed to addressing the pressing issues and concerns of the education sector.
"We strongly advise the incoming DepEd Secretary Sen[ator] Angara against repeating the previous administration's errors by appointing individuals, such as retired military generals, who lack the necessary background and commitment to education," the group said.
The DepEd has set the turnover between Duterte and Angara on Thursday, July 18, at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City.
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