A vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations on Friday strongly refuted Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent statements alleging budget mishandling during her time as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), calling for greater accountability and transparency.
“If there were indeed budget issues, why raise them only now? It’s easy to blame others, but real leadership is about finding solutions and taking responsibility,” House Assistant Majority Leader Jil D. Bongalon, one of the powerful panel’s vice chairpersons, of Ako Bicol Partylist said.
Duterte recently claimed that the government’s budget, as detailed in the General Appropriations Act, has been mishandled, leading to inefficiencies and unresolved issues in various departments.
She specifically mentioned that while she tried to correct these problems during her time at DepEd, she received no support and saw no changes.
But Bongalon, one of the leaders of “Young Guns,” challenged Duterte’s assertions, pointing out the lack of similar concerns raised during her tenure.
"What's wrong? You never mentioned anything like that before. In fact, it was mostly your undersecretaries who were speaking, making it seem like you weren't aware of what was happening in DepEd," Bongalon said.
“You were in charge, yet all we heard were statements from your undersecretaries. It seems like you were disconnected from the actual operations of DepEd,” Bongalon added.
The lawmaker also highlighted unresolved issues under Duterte’s leadership, particularly the Philippines' poor performance in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
“DepEd had nearly two years to improve our students' proficiency levels, yet we still ranked near the bottom globally. And this happened under your watch, on the very day you resigned as DepEd Secretary,” Bongalon said.
The House leader also referenced to other criticisms of DepEd, particularly the department’s reliance on Parents-Teachers Associations to solicit funds for basic classroom needs.
“These should be provided by the agency, not by the parents. This is a clear sign of poor management," Bongalon said.
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