Screengrab from OVP

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday pushed back against claims that her leadership of the Department of Education (DepEd) was a failure, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself had tried to persuade her to remain in office when she tendered her resignation last year.

“I cannot understand where this narrative of me being a ‘total failure’ as DepEd Secretary is coming from,” Duterte said. “Because the actions of President Marcos when I submitted my resignation were completely different.”

Duterte recalled that she formally handed her irrevocable resignation to Marcos on June 19, 2024, after months of consideration. She said she had long weighed the decision, mindful of growing political pressure, including talks of impeachment as early as September 2023.

According to Duterte, the resignation was handed personally to Marcos after a Palace meeting on the opening of classes. She described how the President received her letter in his private office and immediately asked her why she was stepping down.

“I told him I no longer wanted to discuss the reasons. For me, it was obvious. I was being attacked repeatedly even as I was working, and to think that DepEd was delivering results for the administration,” she said.

Duterte claimed that Marcos not only tried to make her reconsider but also offered her other options, including a possible transfer to another position and even involvement in the administration’s campaign for the 2025 midterm elections.

“He asked me to stay. He asked me if I wanted another position. He asked if I could help with the midterms. These are not the actions of someone who thinks you are a failure,” she said.

Duterte’s remarks came in reaction to Malacañang’s statement earlier this week that tagged her leadership at DepEd as unsuccessful. The Vice President stressed that while she had anticipated attacks after stepping down, she did not expect the Palace itself to label her tenure a failure.