Bato wants teachers urging students to join rallies fired

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers who cancel their classes and encourage students to join protest rallies instead should be fired, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said Wednesday.

“They should be removed. Parents enter their students there to become professionals, not to fight the government,” Dela Rosa, speaking in Filipino told reporters in an interview when asked about the matter.

“Why don’t they just conduct their classes? Instead of conducting classes inside the classroom, they encourage the youth, the students that they would no longer have classes and instead go to a rally. That’s where we will check your attendance. That’s very wrong.” he added.

Dela Rosa issued the remark the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he chairs, conducted a probe on the alleged disappearance of minors recruited by leftist organizations.

Dela Rosa said the committee would have to study if they would still conduct another round of hearings. Meanwhile, he said he was ready to prepare a committee report after two hearings on the matter.

“This is not a battle of the left and the right, this is a battle between legal and illegal. This is a battle bet moral and immoral,” he said. “Is it morally acceptable to induce these minors to become armed rebels?”

/atm