Former justice secretary and peace negotiator Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III Wednesday said the next administration needs to focus on education, especially since the Constitution says it should be given the biggest slice in the budget.

Bello gave the remark in a student forum held at the Isabela State University in Cabagan, Isabela recently.

“We should follow the constitutional mandate that education should have the biggest share of the budget,” Bello said. “Education is a great equalizer and a way out of poverty, especially to our poor countrymen,” he added.

The Philippine Business for Education recently said that the next government should give at least four percent of its Gross Domestic Product or P32 billion pesos to reform the schools within the next three years.

“It is constitutionally-mandated that education should receive the biggest slice of the pie,” Bello said.

He lamented that it was not the case during the last few years. “While education can help improve the status of our people, sadly, it is not the number one priority over the past few years,” he added.

“The absence or the lack of affordable quality education for the youth is a form of injustice. By doing what the Constitution mandates is providing justice to the Filipino youth,” Bello said.

Bello, who is running for a Senate seat, said if elected, he will follow the Constitution and prioritize education, especially primary education. “This is the crucial stage wherein the child’s value systems are formed and the momentum for learning is most probably at its highest,” he added.

The United Nations’ 2010 Education For All Global Monitoring Report study showed that the number of out-of-school children ages 6 to 11 in the country have reached one million in 2007, 100,000 more than in 1999.

Given the limited government funds, Bello said that pursuing peace with the various armed groups would free funds to use in funding education and other basic services. “Millions will also be saved from buying arms for the military and police and poured into education, health services, livelihood creation and infrastructure projects,” he said.