Malacañang slams VP Sara over past DepEd mishaps, says probe possible
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang appeared to air its grievances on Thursday as it criticized Vice President Sara Duterte for the alleged mismanagement of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) resources.
In a Malacañang briefing on Thursday, February 27, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked about Duterte’s previous remarks that the public had the right to be angry at the government.
In response, Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. never spoke ill of the vice president, even amid alleged anomalies in DepEd, citing a 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report.
Under Duterte’s leadership, DepEd was flagged by state auditors for failing to distribute P5.6 billion worth of food to students. The food items were found to be moldy and infested with insects.
Duterte has already been impeached by the House of Representatives over the alleged misuse of public funds in the Office of the Vice President. But beyond her pending impeachment trial in the Senate, could she also face an investigation for other alleged anomalies?
Castro said nothing was conclusive yet but did not rule out the possibility.
“Hayaan na po muna natin ang COA na magbigay sa atin ng complete record para if ever na ito ay maging final na at wala namang tututol sa naging pag-iimbestiga rito, maaari po—maaari po na magkaroon tayo ng panibagong pag-iimbestiga para rito,” she said,
(Let us allow COA to give the complete record when it is final and if no one opposes their investigation, it is possible—it is possible to have a new investigation about it.)
Castro said the Palace took cognizance of the matter when it surfaced in 2024, as it was on record.
“Iyong pondo na nagamit sa pagkain na dapat na ibibigay sana sa mga estudyante naka-record po iyan, na ito po ay nasira lang at hindi nakaabot sa mga estudyante. So, kung niri-recognize po ba ito ng Palasyo, nasa record naman po iyan,” Castro said.
(The funds that were supposed to be for food to be given to students, it was recorded that it was spoiled and it was not given to the students. So if the Palace recognizes it, it is on record.)
Asked why Marcos did not speak on the topic as it was happening, Castro said that the president was not the kind to speak badly about other people. He would simply let the proper authorities investigate the matter.
In the same briefing, Castro also brought up that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ranked former president Rodrigo Duterte as the most corrupt person of the year in 2017.
“I hate corruption. Hindi ako nagmamakalinis, marami rin akong nanakaw pero naubos na, so wala na,” the elder Duterte said in 2017.
The Palace, still under the Duterte patriarch at the time, said that he was merely joking when he said this.
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