House panel sees smooth sailing for DepEd chief Angara

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Juan Edgardo Angara is expected to breeze through the Commission on Appointments (CA)’s scrutiny of his nomination as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), replacing Vice President Sara Duterte.

This was the prediction of House CA member and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, who said that Angara’s confirmation proceedings would likely be “smooth sailing.”

“We expect Secretary Angara’s trouble-free confirmation,” Pimentel said in a statement. “He is widely recognized to be immensely qualified for the job. So this is not just about according courtesy to a former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate.”

Pimentel said CA members “will likely ask Secretary Angara about his roadmap to bring up the test scores of Filipino students in global assessments.”

Angara’s appointment came after the Program for International Student Assessment report in June showed learners from the Philippines had the second-lowest score in creative thinking among 64 ranked countries.

The CA’s committee on education chaired by Sen. Raffy Tulfo is set to deliberate on Angara’s ad-interim appointment on Aug. 7.

On the same day, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac will also face for the second time the CA’s labor, employment, social welfare and migrant workers committee chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Mercedes Alvarez.

Cacdac was previously bypassed by the CA when the Alvarez panel first met on May 23 and deferred consideration of his original appointment due to lack of material time. 

The Constitution empowers the 25-member CA – 12 members each from the House and the Senate, with the Senate President as ex officio presiding officer – to vet the competence, fitness and integrity of key presidential appointees, from Cabinet members to senior military officers and diplomats, and to approve or reject them.