August 13, 2024 - House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Representative Janette Garin has dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte's allegations of mismanagement during her tenure as Education Secretary. Garin countered Duterte's claims by highlighting the billions of pesos worth of unused textbooks, furniture, and other educational materials that were supposedly procured during Duterte's time at the Department of Education (DepEd).
In a recent oversight hearing on the DepEd budget, Garin emphasized the importance of accountability in government spending. She pointed out that despite Duterte's claims of attempting to address mismanagement, billions of pesos worth of educational resources remained idle and unused in DepEd warehouses, instead of being distributed to public schools.
Duterte previously resigned from her post as Education Secretary, citing alleged mismanagement of funds as one of the reasons. She claimed that she had tried to rectify the situation but faced resistance and saw little progress.
Garin, however, argued that the unused resources, including textbooks, school furniture, learning materials, and IT hardware, were clear evidence of mismanagement. She questioned how these significant investments in education failed to reach the intended beneficiaries.
The ongoing controversy has reignited discussions about accountability and transparency in government spending, particularly in the education sector. Both Garin and Duterte have presented contrasting narratives, leaving the public to weigh the evidence and form their own conclusions.