PIMENTEL REACTS TO REPORTED APPOINTMENT OF
LAPUS AS EDUCATION SECRETARY

Reacting to reports that Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapus is the incoming secretary of education, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Nene Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said if he were in his (Lapus) shoes, he would rather stay in Congress.

In a statement, Pimentel said: Jesli Lapus is a good choice for secretary of education. The sad thing is that he will serve under a rotten administration whose thrusts in government appears to be dictated by corrupt money considerations.

He said Lapus has had a fairly good record as a bureaucrat. He is chairman of the House committee on ways and means and before being elected congressman, served as president of Land Bank of the Philippines.

Unfortunately, considering the very nature of Cabinet positions, his serving a fake president will inevitably tarnish his otherwise good record of public service, Pimentel said.

If Id have my druthers, I would ask Jesli to serve out his term in Congress and run for another public office, maybe, for senator in the 2007 elections.