Even as Vice President Sara Duterte refuted Malacañang Palace’s statements calling her stint as education secretary a “complete failure,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said otherwise.

“Records will speak for themselves. She admitted in one of her speaking engagements that she has no expertise in formulating the Matatag curriculum since she is not from the education sector,” she said.

“She said she couldn't review the Matatag curriculum because she didn't know anything about it. She said all she knew how to do was push people to get them to work, and she might be the cause of one of her staff’s high blood pressure."

During the launch of the Matatag curriculum in 2023, Duterte said she relied on the expertise of Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching Gina Gonong to ensure that the Philippine education system could stand up with the rest of the country’s neighbors.

She also admitted that education is not within her forte, as she came from a different background — she was a lawyer and career politician — but she knows how to direct people on what to do.

Castro also reiterated that P1.5 million worth of gadgets, laptops, and school materials, which were kept in 2020 under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term, would’ve been left unused if it weren’t for current Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara.

“These materials could have helped more people. Many would have benefited from it but it was ignored. Fortunately, Sec. Angara has fixed it,” she said.

The Palace official also mentioned the fraudulent claims made by private schools for “ghost students” under the senior high school voucher program, which cost the DepEd more than P100 million.

“It's a good thing that Sec. Angara discovered this right away,” Castro said.

After her landslide win as Vice President, Duterte was appointed as DepEd Secretary — a position she held until her resignation in June 2024.