Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Wednesday, April 24, expressed her gratitude for President Marcos’ continued trust as he retained her as the country’s Education chief despite wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos’ misgivings.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
“Maraming salamat, Pangulong Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., sa patuloy na pagtitiwala sa akin bilang Kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon (Thank you very much, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., for your continued trust as secretary of the Department of Education),” she wrote in a message posted in her Facebook page.
Duterte assured the President and the Filipino people that she will fulfill her mandate in the agency she heads in a concurrent capacity.
“Makakaasa po kayo na ang DepEd, na binubuo ng ating mga guro at non-teaching personnel, ay patuloy na maglilingkod nang tapat para sa kinabukasan ng bawat mag-aaral (You can be rest assured that DepEd, composed of our teachers and non-teaching personnel, will continue to serve for the future of every student),” she said.
On Tuesday, Marcos said his wife’s tirades against the Vice President will not affect his relationship with Duterte nor prompt him to fire her as Education chief.
He added that Duterte herself would understand the First Lady’s comments because she herself is a wife, adding that he feels lucky that Araneta-Marcos is protective of him.
The issue came after the First Lady, in an interview on broadcaster Anthony Taberna’s “Tune In Kay Tunying,” opened up about her strained relationship with the Vice President after she saw her laughing at former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug allegations against her husband.
Marcos claimed that Duterte was seen laughing after the former chief executive called her husband “bangag (stoned)” during a rally in their hometown of Davao City.