VP Sara to teacher scolding her pupils: ‘Stop holding class when angry’

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte (File photo from Inday Sara Duterte’s Facebook Page)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte said on Thursday that there will be no penalties to the teacher who was in a viral video scolding her class.

According to Duterte, she just wants to remind the teacher that when she is angry, she has to pause and to stop the class for a moment.

READ: Angry teacher in viral video issued show cause order – DepEd

“Nakita ko yung explanation niya and then, sinabihan ko ang regional office natin na there will be no penalties for the teacher. Just remind the teacher that when she is angry, she has to pause. Itigil muna iyong klase,” Duterte said in an interview with reporters.

(I saw her explanation and then I told our regional office that there will be no penalties for the teacher. Just remind the teacher that when she is angry, she has to pause. Stop the class for a moment.)

“And when she’s not angry anymore, saka siya magklase ulit. There’s a need to pause ‘pag galit iyong teacher. Iyon lang ang sinabi ko na i-remind sa teacher,” she further remarked.

(And when she’s not angry anymore, she can resume the class. There’s a need to pause when the teacher is angry. That is what I said, to remind the teacher.)

Duterte added there were no penalties applied to the teacher as teachers were only human and that they reach their points of frustration.

“[T]ao lang tayo lahat. Lahat tayo, inaabutan ng galit. Ang dapat natin maintindihan ay anong gagawin natin kung tayo ay galit na? And that is why, pinasabihan ko iyong teacher – Tumigil muna siya kapag galit na siya. Pag hindi na siya galit, saka siya magklase,” she added.

(We are all human and are susceptible to anger. What we should understand is our actions when we are angry. And that is why I ordered to advise the teacher – She should stop holding the class when she is angry. When she is no longer angry, then she should resume.)

In a viral video which made rounds on social media and gained mixed reactions from people, the teacher berated her students.

“Hindi ako nag-board exam para lang hindi irespeto ng mga katulad nyo na wala pang nararating sa buhay. Ang kakapal ng mga mukha nyo. ‘Di nyo nga kayang buhayin mga sarili nyo. Di kayo marunong rumespeto,” she said.

(I did not take the board exam just to be disrespected by the likes of you who haven’t even reached anything in life. You are all dense. You can’t even make a living for yourselves. You don’t know how to respect.)

READ: Group cites ‘bigger problem’ behind teacher’s Tiktok rant

Following the incident, the teacher was issued a show cause order, according to DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas on Monday.