Marcos: Sara Duterte agreed to become education secretary

Leading vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has agreed to take on the post as education secretary, her standard bearer presidential frontrunner former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced.

As of 6:47 p.m. on Wednesday, Comelec's partial and unofficial tally of over 98% of the election returns showed Marcos with 31,091,373 votes as against closest pursuer Vice President Leni Robredo's 14,815,251.

Duterte has 31,547,470 votes as against Senator Francis Pangilinan's 9,227,642.

Marcos' spokesman Vic Rodriguez earlier claimed that with a lead of over 16 million votes, the people have spoken to choose the former senator as the Philippines' 17th president. 

"I think I am already authorized to announce the first nominee that we will be giving to the Commission on Appointments when the time comes should I be proclaimed and that is that our incoming vice president has agreed to take the brief of Department of Education," Marcos told reporters.

Marcos said he asked Duterte if she would take on the job considering that it was difficult to be education secretary.

"Pero nag-agree naman siya," Marcos said. (She agreed.)

Marcos said Duterte was a mother who wanted her children to be "well-trained and well-educated." 

'Economic managers critical'

He said his camp was determining who to put in positions in the other government agencies.

"As I'm sure you can imagine the economic managers are going to be critical for the next several years because of the pandemic and the economic crisis so that is something we are looking carefully," Marcos said.

"But it's not only the economic managers... not only Cabinet positions but even other agencies," he added.

Saying 31 million voted for the UniTeam and its call for national unity, Marcos indicated he was ready to work even with those who have different political beliefs.

"I continue to be guided by competence and willingness to work with the next administration. We removed immediately what their political leanings have been, kung lumaban ba sa atin, kung sumama ba sa atin, that's not going to be part of the discussion," Marcos said. 

DepEd ready

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said she and the rest of the Department of Education were looking forward to working with Duterte.

“I welcome the announcement by presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos that incoming Vice President Sara Duterte will concurrently serve as Department of Education Secretary,” Briones said in a statement.

“I and the DepEd family are ready to work with her team for the orderly transition of DepEd leadership,” she added.

Briones said the DepEd would be "in able hands” under Duterte.

“We will turn over the Basic Education Plan 2030, the first time that an outgoing administration will leave behind a medium-term plan. We are confident that DepEd will be in able hands and anticipate a continuity,” Briones said. —NB, GMA News