President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior announced just minutes ago, that Malacanan will announce the new secretary of the Department of Education by the “end of the week”, which means tomorrow, Friday or Saturday? 

Sources point to two very strong contenders: former U.P. president Atty. Danny Concepcion and Senator Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. Dannycon, as he is popularly known for, is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines College of Law and a respected legal advocate. His term as U.P. president is marked with “great strides” in terms of infrastructural development and process improvement.

Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Pascual recommended Dannycon for the post. Insiders say the President initially offered Pascual the vacated post, but he declined, saying that he was much more comfortable with his present position. Pascual then thought of Atty. Dannycon, who is reportedly a frat brother of his (Upsilon).

Dannycon and his Brod, Speaker Martin Romualdez, are reportedly not on good terms. They had a disagreement when Dannycon chose his good friend, Atty. Jijil Jimenez, instead of the speaker’s preferred candidate. This information is still being validated.

Late last week, rumors swirled about the possibility of Senator Sonny Angara being the new deped. Angara, a last-term Senator, is also perfect for the post, having graduated at the top of his law class and is an alumnus of the London School of Economics. Of course, who will not remember his father, the late Ed Angara, whose term as U.P. president was also “historic?” Angara served under the administration of Bongbong’s father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos senior. 

Another contender, whom I will not name here, is also a very brilliant lawyer with a public service record. He was a former head of campaigns for the late senator Raul Roco and once led a movement of patriotic Filipinos.

Regardless of who assumes the role, the new Secretary of the Department of Education will undoubtedly face the daunting task of managing a department plagued with numerous issues. Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims of departmental improvement are disputed by teachers and educators, highlighting the scale of the challenge. The next DepEd secretary has to really rid the department of corrupt personnel.

Whether it’s Dannycon or Sonny Angara, these gentlemen will have to fight the entrenched syndicate that monopolizes supplies of textbooks, and more. The next DepEd secretary has to really rid the department of corrupt personnel.

For me, the secretary’s most important task right now is to fundamentally correct the information in books being distributed among our students. Most books contain monumental factual errors. Imagine including a highly controversial personality whom the Supreme Court already judged guilty of many sins and hence disbarred. There is a clear and urgent need for change in our education system.