THE DEPARTMENT of Education on Monday confirmed that the payment to the illustrators of Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial book titled ‘Isang Kaibigan’ is not in their official record.

In the budget briefing at the House Appropriations Committee, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said that the two illustrators of the book are job order employees from the Public Affairs Service.

Angara said since there is nothing in their official record, it is assumed that it was done for free or else it was paid for, outside the department.

Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching Gina Gonong also said no public funds were used for the production of ‘Isang Kaibigan’.

It is said that DepEd also had no role in the development, printing and reproduction of the book,

They also just found out that the book is what Vice President Sara Duterte intends to read in the ‘Araw ng Pagbasa Program’ at a public elementary school.

Gonong added that every year they expand the reading session and DepEd invites reading ambassador and they let them choose a storybook to read as long as it suits the ability and understanding of the students or children.