DepEd on Krisel Mallari speech: We should go beyond what she’s saying

By: Nestor Corrales - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines—Was it right for school officials to stop salutatorian Krisel Mallari from delivering her speech criticizing the school policies of Sto. Niño Parochial School during her graduation rites?

Education Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali said this would be the focus of the investigation of the Department of Education (DepEd) on the case of Mallari who was stopped by school officials from delivering a speech.

“The question is, what the student said, and the way she was stopped from saying it, was it appropriate? Did she say something she wasn’t supposed to while giving the speech?” Umali said.

Umali said the DepEd would look into the allegations of Mallari if they were “substantial.”

He said the issue was not just about the school officials stopping Mallari from delivering her speech but on what she actually said during her speech.

READ: DepEd launches probe on salutatorian Krisel Mallari’s speech

“It’s all about what she’s saying. We should go beyond that,” he said.

While the DepEd recognized the right of students to be “treated with dignity and respect,” students in return should respect school authorities, said Umali.

He said all students should be “reasonably and fairly treated as a student and as a person consistent with human dignity.”

The official said the arguments of both parties were being given considerable weight. “Parehong binibigyan ng timbang kumbaga yung magkabilang panig dyan,” he said.

On Tuesday, the DepEd issued a memorandum asking the school to explain within 48 hours what happened during its graduation rites on March 20.

Over the weekend, a video made the rounds online showing a high school salutatorian being stopped by school officials while delivering her speech during the rites.

Mallari had taken a swipe at the officials and teachers in her school, questioning the computation of her grades which made her the batch’s salutatorian. RC