Chiz: Sara quitting fated after kin's criticisms, her silence on issues

Vice President Sara Duterte's resignation from the Cabinet was inevitable after members of her family criticized President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and she chose to stay silent on issues such as the West Philippine Sea, Senate President Francis Escudero said on Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III called on Marcos to appoint a secretary "who has dedicated his or her life to education and can show the track record for it."

''I believe her resignation was inevitable from the time her father, FPRRD, and her siblings and allies started attacking PBBM and members of the First Family,'' Escudero said in a statement. 

''Its inevitability became more pronounced when she was already silent and not expressing her support on certain policy issues such as the West Philippine Sea, the Bagong Pilipinas Hymn, the Quiboloy cases and attempted arrest, etc.,'' he added. 

Escudero said the Vice President had the right to have policy differences with the President. 

''I believe that people love and respect her precisely for that… for having and fighting for what she believes in and for her own beliefs,'' Escudero said. 

Pimentel said Marcos should immediately prepare to appoint the next DepEd chief.

''This person must be someone who has worked with or in the department for decades, someone familiar with how the department works as well as with the problems of the education sector and educational system," Pimentel said.

"Someone who has dedicated his or her life to education and can show the track record for it,'' he added.

For her part, Senator Imee Marcos, the President's sister and a close ally of Sara Duterte, expressed her support for the vice president's decision to quit the Cabinet.

"Ang aking pagmamahal, pagtitiwala at paniniwala sa iyong kabutihan, husay at pakikipagkaibigan ay hindi kailan man magmamaliw," Sen. Marcos said on Facebook.

"Ako ay iyong kasama sa bawat hakbang, bawat araw at bawat laban, dahil iisa lamang ang nais natin; magwagi at magtagumpay ang Mahal nating Pilipinas," she added.

(My love, trust and belief in your goodness, skills and friendship will not waver. I will be there for you in each step, each day and each fight because we only want one thing: for our beloved country to be successful.)  —NB/KBK, GMA Integrated News