MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday expressed sympathy over the untimely death of Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Francisco Varela.
“His untimely death is a big loss to the public service and we extend our condolences to his bereaved family,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press statement.
According to Coloma, Varela served “with distinction and contributed significantly in implementing reforms in the education sector anchored upon good governance and the judicious utilization of public funds.”
Coloma said Varela opted to join government at the start of the Aquino administration after carving an exemplary track record in the academic and investment banking sectors.
DepEd also mourned for Varela’s untimely demise and expressed its condolences in its press statement where they described Varela as a “highly principled man.”
“He was a staunch advocate of anti-corruption efforts in the Department and played a very important role in instituting reforms to ensure that ethical standards are observed in all transactions involving the agency,” the press statement of DepEd added.
47-year-old Varela passed away from a vehicular accident on Saturday morning in Rizal. He was declared dead on arrival at the Padilla District Hospital in Antipolo City.
RELATED: DepEd usec killed in crash