Makabayan bloc: VP Sara should focus on DepEd problems

Makabayan bloc lawmakers said Vice President Sara Duterte should focus on solving the country's education problems following her designation as co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The lawmakers expressed concern that Duterte might lose sight of the problems in the education sector including the lack of classrooms and low salaries of teachers, according to Tina Panganiban-Perez's "24 Oras" report on Friday.

“Sana mag-focus na lang muna si Vice President Duterte doon sa kanyang pagso-solve ng mga perennial problems ng education,” ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said.

(I hope Vice President Duterte will focus on solving the perennial problems of education.)

The lawmakers also feared that the huge confidential and intelligence fund of NTF-ELCAC might be used against government critics by branding them as communists.

“Gagamitin nang malaya itong kanilang confidential, intelligence funds at yung buong budget ng NTF-ELCAC na more or less ay P10 billion,” Castro said.

(They will freely use their confidential, intelligence funds and the entire budget of NTF-ELCAC which are more or less P10 billion.)

“Ito ay masamang pangitain para sa academic freedom, sa layunin natin na maprotektahan ang civilian agencies mula sa tangka na ma-militarize,” Kabataan party-list representative Raoul Manuel said.

(This doesn't bode well for academic freedom, as we aim to protect civilian agencies from attempts to be militarized.)

GMA Integrated News is still seeking the side of Duterte.

She did not accommodate an interview after attending a meeting of barangay health workers in Surigao del Sur on Friday,

Duterte, meanwhile, called on the youth not to be deceived by the communists during the oathtaking of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in Leyte.

“These forces steal the innocence of our children crushing their souls and destroying their future, thereby, destroying the future of our country,” Duterte said.

The NTF-ELCAC maintained that Duterte will help a lot in the task force.

“Dahil sa kanyang popularidad, marami siyang mahihikayat na armadong component ng NPA na bumalik na sa mainstream society o bumalik na sa rule of law sa ating bansa. Bilang secretary of Education, makakatulong si VP Sara para maputol yung recruitment para hindi masira yung kinabukasan ng mga kabataang ito,” National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said.

(Because of her popularity, she will encourage many armed components of the NPA to return to mainstream society or return to the rule of law in our country. As the secretary of Education, VP Sara will help cut the recruitment so that the future of these young people will not be destroyed.)

Malaya also refuted that the government is red-tagging critics.

“Hindi naman po ang pamahalaan or NTF-ELCAC ang nagreredtag. Ang nagreredtag po sa kanila ay sila mismo,” he said.

(It is not the government or NTF-ELCAC that is red-tagging them. They are the ones red-tagging themselves.)

He also said the appointment of Duterte has no connection with academic freedom.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA Integrated News