Luistro’s neutral stand on Roxas bid understandable – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - While Education Secretary Armin Luistro is free to campaign for the presidential bid of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Malacañang said yesterday his decision to be neutral is understandable.

“I think Secretary Luistro was very clear (why he chose to be neutral),” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over state-run radio dzRB.

Luistro had earlier said he could not openly campaign for Roxas, President Aquino’s preferred successor, because he heads the Department of Education (DepEd), which has an active role in the elections, noted Valte.

The DepEd works closely with the Commission on Elections to ensure credible polls.

“He was speaking for himself. He wasn’t speaking for other members of the Cabinet. Let’s be fair to Secretary Luistro…And I think people will also understand the position of Secretary Luistro. It’s out of propriety also,” Valte said.

“Of all the agencies in the executive, it’s really DepEd that is deeply involved in the elections because of the public school teachers that are there,” she said.

Valte said Luistro did not want to be accused of partisanship, as the teachers would have to fulfill election duties. During elections, public school teachers serve as members of the Board of Election Inspectors in polling stations.

“Although, you know, because the secretary of education is an alter ego of the President, under the jurisprudence he is allowed to campaign. I think it’s really Secretary Luistro’s personal choice to say his support can’t be open…But if you look at that, obviously, the support is there. The only thing that he is saying is that he does not want the DepEd to be criticized,” Valte said.