DepEd criticized for violating memo on student gatherings

MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) hit the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday for holding a police-led event in Quezon City with nearly 1,000 students — an alleged violation of its own memorandum that discouraged large gatherings amid the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

ACT said the event, held for Grade 9 students at Ramon Magsaysay High School on Monday, was organized by the Philippine National Police with Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali as special guest.

The activity was the culmination of Project Ready (Resistance Education Against Drugs for the Youth), an initiative under President Rodrigo Duterte’s Kabataan Kontra-Droga at Terorismo campaign.

“How was the PNP activity permitted with no less than a DepEd top official as its guest and speaker, when even flag ceremonies have been banned?” ACT chair Joselyn Martinez said in a statement. “Is this sham and violent drug war more important than the health of our students?”

On Feb. 4, the DepEd issued Memorandum No. 015, series of 2020, to outline measures that should be taken by schools in response to concern over the spread of the new virus.

“All division and district activities that involve the gathering/congregation of various schools are highly discouraged,” it said.

Sought for comment, DepEd said it “allows activities within the school as long as personnel and learners exhibiting respiratory infections are prohibited to attend.”

“I would like to call out ACT for maliciously using and interpreting the department’s preventive measures against nCoV to advance their political agenda against the administration’s antidrug campaign,” said Education Undersecretary Alain Pascua.

“The real enemy is the nCoV virus and bickering at this point makes all of us losers in this fight,” he added.