Gatchalian asks DepEd to issue guidelines on use of CCTV in schools

The Department of Education (DepEd) needs to issue an updated set of guidelines on the use and management of CCTVs in schools, Senate Committee on Basic Education chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday.

During a Senate hearing on the implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, the lawmaker mentioned that many schools are installing CCTVs nowadays.

Gatchalian said it is a good development but the guidelines for the use of such equipment and the distribution of the footage shall be governed by proper guidelines to avoid "trial by publicity" among teachers.

"We don't want a situation wherein this type of CCTV videos will be released without any permission and any reason, whatsoever," he told the DepEd.

"Itong mga CCTV came in lately and you have to incorporate that in your guidelines so that it will not be abused.  What we don't want is trial by publicity or trial by Facebook. These are very sensitive tapes eh," he added.

The topic was raised after Atty. Joseph Noel M. Estrada, managing director of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA), said that Section 8 of the law being discussed is not strictly being followed as some CCTV footage involving teachers find their way to social media, among other channels.

Estrada was referring to a section which states that "no publicity shall be given to any disciplinary action being taken against a teacher during the pendency of his case."

"Nire-revisit po natin ang existing guidelines like Department Order No. 49 series of 2006 pati 'yung previous guidelines natin para matingnan natin ito in light of Data Privacy Act, Child Protection Act, and so on po para ma-address din natin ang concerns na nire-raise ngayon," DepEd Undersecretary Jess Mateo said.

Gatchalian asked the DepEd to submit updated guidelines to the committee no later than January 2021. —LBG, GMA News