DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara (Facebook)

Newly-installed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara is expected to have no trouble at all during his confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments (CA) this coming Wednesday, Aug. 7. 

Thus, said Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel, CA assistant minority leader,  who predicted "smooth sailing" for the erstwhile senator. 

“We expect Secretary Angara’s trouble-free confirmation,” Pimentel said on Sunday, Aug. 4. 

“Secretary Angara is widely recognized to be immensely qualified for the job. So this is not just about according courtesy to a former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate,” said the Mindanao lawmaker. 

“In any case, CA members will likely ask Secretary Angara about his roadmap to bring up the test scores of Filipino students in global assessments,” Pimentel said. 

The Philippines ranked No. 77 out of 81 countries in an international assessment that measured the performance of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science literacy. 

In June, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also released a report wherein learners from the Philippines came out with the second-lowest score in creative thinking among 64 ranked countries. 

The CA’s Committee on Education chaired by Senator Raffy Tulfo is set to lead deliberations on Angara’s ad-interim appointment. 

The 1987 Constitution empowers the 25-member CA to vet the competence, fitness and integrity of key presidential appointees – from Cabinet members to senior military officers and diplomats – and to approve or reject them. 

The CA is composed of 12 members each from the House and the Senate, with the Senate President as ex officio presiding officer.