Angara rejects calls to resign, labels allegations ‘hearsay’
MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara sees no basis to step down from his post amid recent resignations in the Cabinet, saying the allegations linking him to illegal cuts in infrastructure projects are “hearsay” and unsupported by any concrete evidence.
Asked in a chance interview on Wednesday, November 19, whether he should also resign amid the recent departures of other Cabinet officials, Angara replied: “Hindi siguro… kasi hearsay lang yung nandoon saakin tapos wala pang specific accusation. Walang mention of any transaction… Kung sa korte ’yan, ibabasura ’yan.”
(Probably not… because what’s being thrown at me is just hearsay and there’s no specific accusation. There’s no mention of any transaction… If this were in court, it would be dismissed.)
Tied to Blue Ribbon inquiry. Angara has been accused of pocketing kickbacks from infrastructure works by former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee last week that Angara — along with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former Sen. Grace Poe — collected kickbacks from flood control projects worth several billions of pesos.
Bernardo, in his sworn affidavit claimed Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar — as former staff of Angara in the Senate — "received deliveries" equivalent to 12% of projects when Angara chaired the Senate finance committee. The former DPWH official said he worked with Olaivar during budget preparations.
Angara has denied this, saying he had never engaged in corruption throughout his two decades in public office.
Exits at the Palace. Yesterday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Angara does not need to resign if he believes he has done nothing wrong.
The Palace on Monday announced that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman have stepped down from their posts. They were said to have voluntarily tendered their resignation, though Bersamin has disputed this in a recent interview, saying he was "told to go."
Both Cabinet members' resignations came after former lawmaker Zaldy Co accused the president of making irregular insertions in the 2025 budget.
On Wednesday, Senate blue ribbon committee chairperson Ping Lacson said the president was "misrepresented" by former presidential legislative liaison office chief Adrian Bersamin, based on the testimony of Bernardo.
Adrian is the grandnephew of the resigned executive secretary Bersamin.
Angara was the chair of the Senate finance committee until mid-2024, when he resigned to assume his appointment as DepEd secretary.
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