What will happen to Sonny Angara's Senate seat once he assumes DepEd post? Comelec answers

Senator Sonny Angara at Senate session, Dec. 15, 2021. Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB

Senator Sonny Angara's seat in the Senate will be vacant until it is filled in after the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday, after Malacañang announced that Angara will be the next Education secretary.

"Unless there is a call from the Senate to call for a special election, the Senate seat will remain vacant," Comelec chairman George Garcia said.

Angara is on his second consecutive and last six-year term as senator.

Prior to Malacañang's announcement, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said Angara's seat would remain vacant if ever Angara is picked to be the next secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

"I don't think you need to fill that in and chalk up additional expenses. Let us just wait for his term to expire," Escudero said Monday.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has picked Angara to be the next DepEd secretary, replacing Vice President Sara Duterte who resigned from the post.

"Senator Angara has an extensive legislative history, having championed significant educational reforms since joining the Senate of the Philippines in 2013," the PCO said.

"His notable legislative achievements include the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12)." —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA Integrated News

This article What will happen to Sonny Angara's Senate seat once he assumes DepEd post? Comelec answers was originally published in GMA News Online.