Education Secretary Sonny Angara said on Wednesday, 19 November, he will not resign from his post amid allegations linking him to alleged anomalous government flood control projects.
In an ambush interview during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the refurbished PhilSports Complex in Pasig City, Angara said the allegations linking him to the fund controversy are baseless and were not supported by any evidence.
“Hindi siguro kasi hearsay lang yung nasa akin tapos wala pang specific accusation,” he said.
“Walang mention of any transaction or anything so kung sa korte yan, ibabasura yan di ba?” the DepEd chief added.
Angara emphasized that he sees no reason to resign, noting that no formal accusations have been filed against him.
Malacañang has said Angara does not need to submit a courtesy resignation if he thinks he's innocent and was not actually involved in the flood control scandal.
Last week, former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo mentioned the education chief among former lawmakers who allegedly received kickbacks from the anomalous flood control projects.
Angara, who previously served as the Senate Finance Committee chairperson from 2019 to 2024, earlier said he has never been involved in corruption in his 21 years of government service. During those years, the former senator shepherded the passage of the General Appropriations Act, the national budget.
He was appointed Secretary of the Department of Education in 2024, just months before completing his second term as senator, replacing then-education chief Sara Duterte.
On Tuesday, 18 November, former Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar has resigned after being linked to alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects.
Olaivar is one of the government officials mentioned by former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo in connection with the alleged anomalous flood control projects.
The former DepEd official had previously denied the accusations referenced in Bernardo’s affidavit during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday, 25 September.