Shekinah Jedidiah Alima

Vice President Sara Duterte will not return to another cabinet position of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration to prioritize the projects of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Photo Courtesy of Facebook/Inday Sara Duterte.

“Hindi na ako magse-serve in another cabinet post under Marcos administration,” she stated during an interview at the Department of Education on June 18.

She explained that her absence from another cabinet office will help her push through with the projects she was unable to fulfill as education secretary. 

“'Yung hindi ko nagawa sa Department of Education, na legal assistance for teachers, gusto naming buohin sa Office of the Vice President na lawyers for teachers.”

When reporters asked why she resigned from the Marcos administration after stepping down as DepEd Secretary on June 19, she said the reasons were personal.

“Mayroong personal, sa aming dalawa ni President Marcos, sa trabaho, at mayroon siyang sa bayan – nagkabuhol-buhol na siya na maraming rason,” Duterte reiterated.

In response to her decision, Marcos expressed his willingness to respect his former ‘UniTeam’ ally.

“Okay. I don’t need to react. That’s her decision,” Marcos stated during an interview on June 19, while distributing assistance to El Niño-affected farmers and fishermen in Apayao.

Duterte will not attend the upcoming third State of the Nation Address of Marcos on Monday but claimed that her relationship with Marcos is “okay.”

She also appointed herself as the ‘designated survivor’ – someone who can assume the Presidential post in the event of an accident during a major political gathering.

Former Sen. Sonny Angara was appointed by Marcos as the next 39th DepEd chief and took his oath on July 18.