DAVAO CITY – Children rights alliance, Save our Schools Network, will protest in front of Department of Education national office on Monday to denounce the closure of indigenous peoples schools in Davao del Norte.
In a statement, SOS network said they hold Education Secretary Armin Luistro, responsible for failing to resolve the cases of militarization of schools.
On Wednesday, First Lieutenant Christyn Joan Pamplona, officer-in-charge and spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the Talaingod Tribal Councils recommended the closure of the Salugpungan schools.
Pamplona showed a powerpoint presentation of a letter by the Davao del Norte Division of the Department of Education (DepEd) “recommending the closure of Salugpungan.”
The letter, signed by Dr. Josephine Fadul, schools division superintendent, said she has received a document from the Office of the Talaingod Municipal Tribal Council of Elders “emphasizing its request/stand for the temporary closure of the schools operated by STTICLC.”
Fadul said should the request for the closure of the schools be granted, “the Division requests permission to implement the creation of a public high school in Butay, Talaingod utilizing military personnel as para-teachers.”
Fadul said that the use of military para-teachers “has been agreed upon during our meeting with the Regional Intelligence Committee” last April 23, 2015.
