DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Research shows that the marsupial is the only animal that is always pregnant.
But such findings may now be up for dispute, if this case being investigated by the Department of Education (DepEd) proves to be true and not a scam.
The DepEd on Friday said it had formed a fact-finding committee to look into an alleged “maternity leave scam” among teachers.
In a radio interview, the agency’s spokesperson Michael Poa said it had begun ““to check the veracity of the statements given by the whistleblower” that some teachers had filed maternity leaves “up to 11 times in three years.”
Poa was referring to an earlier claim made by an official of the DepEd-Division of Taguig City Pateros (DepEd-Tapat), Ellery Quintia, who in an ABS-CBN interview presented documents showing that one teacher received multiple maternity leave benefits from 2016 to 2019.
Maternity benefits
Under the Expanded Maternity Leave Law or Republic Act No. 11210, the Social Security System (SSS) pays qualified SSS members a cash benefit equivalent to 100 percent of their average daily salary credit.
The law, enacted in 2018, increased the maternity leave period from 60 days to 105 days for female workers with an option to extend for an additional 30 days without pay, and even granting an additional 15 days for solo mothers.
“We are currently assessing whether we can confirm those statements but for now, we assigned officers from the regional office, instead of the schools division office, to investigate the matter in order to maintain impartiality,” said Poa.
He also encouraged the whistleblower to come forward and give a formal statement to the DepEd.
‘Unimaginable’
On Tuesday, Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte called on DepEd personnel to report similar cases in their schools or division offices.
But the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines on Friday called for an “independent and thorough investigation” of the allegation.
ACT said “no stone should be left unturned for the whole truth to be brought to light.”
The teachers’ group said it found it “unimaginable” that a regular public school teacher “has masterminded and executed such a racketeering act.”
It noted that claiming maternity leave benefits includes “many responsible personnel, including [school] officials.”
“It is practically gambling away his or her job, reputation and whole future, which no one would dare lose especially amid the severe economic crisis,” said ACT. “We should get to the bottom of the matter and find the brains behind this scam and bring before the law all those who benefited from this.”
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