By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will no longer pursue the request of the Office of the Vice President for P500 million in confidential and intelligence funds for 2024.

This was disclosed by Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday, saying that his office received the statement from Duterte-Carpio.

“Your honor we received a statement from the VP [and] we discussed [it] earlier. According to her, the OVP can only propose a budget to support the safe implementation of its programs to alleviate poverty and promote [the] general welfare of Filipino families,” Angara said.

“Nonetheless, they will no longer pursue the confidential and intelligence funds or the confidential funds. The reason is that it seems to be divisive, and as the VP, she swore and  [took an] oath to keep the country peaceful and strong,” said the chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and sponsor of the 2024 national budget bill.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III commended the Vice President for her act.

“Given this manifestation of the Vice President, I commend her for now categorically stating to this House that it is not a deferral to our wisdom. She does not want it anymore,” Pimentel said.

The OVP has asked for P500-M confidential funds while the Department of Education, also headed by Duterte-Carpio, requested P150-M confidential funds.

The House of Representatives has stripped the confidential funds of five agencies and realigned the funds to security offices.

(ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte disclosed that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio planned to use the proposed confidential and intelligence funds of the Department of Education for the implementation of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

The former leader said that he learned of his daughter’s plan when he scrutinized documents in relation to CIF.

“Binasa ko ang rationale. Ang plano niya — unahan ko na lang, so I’m sorry I have to divulge this because ibinigay mo naman sa’kin, then I just make it public — gamitin niya ang pera, it’s only P125 million, gamitin niya sa mga PMT, palakasin niya sa high school, pati ibalik talaga niya ang ROTC. Make it compulsory,” he said in an interview with SMNI.

The Office of the Vice President sought P500 million in confidential fund for 2024 while the Department of Education which Duterte-Carpio heads requested for P150 million.

However, the House of Representatives removed the confidential funds of the OVP, DepEd, Department of Agriculture, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Department of Foreign Affairs and realigned the budget to agencies tasked to secure the country’s security.

By Liezelle Soriano

EDUCATION Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio vowed to expedite the investigation of the case of Francis Jay Gumikib, who died after he was allegedly slapped by his teacher.

Duterte-Carpio visited the teen’s wake and assured his parents of the Department of Education’s help.

“Ang Regional Office ay binigyan lamang ng hanggang Lunes, October 9, 2023, upang tapusin ang fact finding investigation nito at mag issue ng formal charges na may pansamantalang pagsususpinde laban sa mga sangkot sa isyu. Kasama sa usapan ang posibleng kaso ng child abuse dahil sa pananampal,” she said in a post.

She said DepEd will assist the parents in filing criminal charges if there is basis.

The Vice President added that DepEd will provide psychological first aid for the parents and siblings of the victim.

The mother said that her son came home from school on September 21 crying and reported the alleged slapping of his teacher.

He later complained of severe pain in the ear and headache until he vomited and he was then rushed the hospital. He died several days later.

By Liezelle Soriano

GENDER equality group Enough Is Enough PH condemned the alleged negligence of Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio in addressing the rising number of victims of campus predators.

“How much funds were used to make campuses safe spaces?” EIE lead convenor Sophia Reyes said.

The group made the statement after Duterte-Carpio defended the use of confidential funds, saying that those who are against CIF are enemies of the state.

The EIE said that her statement is clearly “fallacious and similar to her father’s tirades during his term as president.”

“We have gone down this road before and ordinary folks have already learned from her father’s hard hitting but empty rhetoric,” Reyes said.

“For gender equality groups such as EIE, we are baffled by her proposal of P650 million CIF for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education when she has nothing to show for it. Her negligence in addressing the rising number of victims of campus predators and enablers in her Department is condemnable,” she added.

By Liezelle Soriano

THE ADMINISTRATION of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to continue its support to the education sector, including the teachers, to ensure that quality education will be provided to the students.

“The Marcos-Duterte administration will remain hard at work in addressing the needs of our schools, our teachers, and our students,” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in a post.

Marcos made the commitment as he paid tribute to the teachers.

“As National Teachers’ Month comes to a close, we pay tribute to the heroes of children’s education! As we thank you for all that you do, we also continue to work harder to improve your lives,” he said.

On Sunday night at the Malacañang complex, Marcos attended a concert honoring Filipino teachers alongside Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The concert in Malacañang is part of celebration of National Teachers’ Month.

Ni Liezelle Soriano

BUMABA ang approval ratings nina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, ganoon din ang sa dalawang pinuno ng dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso, ayon sa  pinakahuling survey ng Pulse Asia na inilabas ngayong araw ng Lunes (02 Oct 2023),

Mula sa 80 porsiyento sa survey noong Hunyo, bumaba sa 65 porsiyento ang approval rating ni Marcos, habang bumaba naman si Duterte-Carpio mula 84 porsiyento sa 73 porsiyento sa parehong panahon.

Gayunpaman, ang approval rate ni Duterte-Carpio ay nananatiling mas mataas kaysa kay Marcos.

Sinabi ng Pulse Asia na nangangahulugan pa rin ito ng pagpapahalaga ng mga Pilipino sa kanilang pagganap sa trabaho bilang mga pinuno ng bansa.

Bumaba rin ang approval rating ng dalawang pinuno ng mataas at mababang kapulungan.

Bumaba ang trust rating ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri mula 56 noong Hunyo sa 50 noong Setyembre.

Bumaba rin ang approval rating ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez mula 52 sa 41.

Isinagawa ang survey mula Setyembre 10 hanggang 14, taong kasalukuyan.

(ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

A LUCKY student in Cebu got to visit South Korea with Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, as one of the beneficiaries of the Office of the Vice President’s ‘You can be VP’ program. 

Kester, a Grade 4 student of the Melecio Tito Elementary School in Danao City, Cebu, was the third participant of the program.

He joined Duterte-Carpio in several important meetings that she attended, including the Global Education Innovation Summit 2023.

‘You Can Be VP’ aims to give students the opportunity to see what Duterte-Carpion does as Vice President. 

“Nais ng special project na ‘You Can be VP’ na mabigyan ng halaga ng mga kabataan ang edukasyon, magpursige silang isakatuparan ang kanilang mga pangarap sa buhay, at linangin ang kanilang leadership skills,” Duterte-Carpio said.

By Liezelle Soriano

EDUCATION Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio sought protection for teachers who will serve during the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

“Bilang Secretary of Education, nais kong masiguro na mabibigyan ng angkop na proteksyon at suporta ang ating mga guro na nagsasakripisyo para maisagawa ng matagumpay ang halalan sa ating bansa,” she said in a post.

The BSKE is set on October 30.

“Hindi po mangyayari ang isang eleksiyon kung walang mga guro,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Nagsisilbi ang mga guro sa eleksiyon sa kabila ng mga panganib na hinaharap nila. Wala akong natatandaan na eleksyon na walang insidente ng pananakot, pananakit, pang-aatake sa mga guro at sa kanilang mga pamilya,” the Vice President added.

She issued the statement during the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Commission on Elections Chairperson George Erwin Gracia and Public Attorney’s Office head Persida Acosta in Manila.

The MOA aims to have a system to protect the welfare of teachers who will serve in the Barangay and SK elections.

By Liezelle Soriano

VICE PRESIDENT and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio led the distribution of school supplies for Grade 1 to Grade 7 students of two schools in Northern Samar province.

The Vice President gave the supplies to the Las Navas National High School and San Jorge Elementary School in Las Navas.

Duterte-Carpio also provided dental kits for the students.

She urges the students to study hard and finish their studies.

She gave laptops to the teachers to help them deliver quality education.

In a post, the Vice President said she also talked to the principals and teachers to further know the needs of the schools. She also thanked them for their commitment to help the students.