Etsapwera si House Deputy Minority Leader at ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro sa pinakabagong pahayag ni Vice President at Education Secretary Sara Duterte tungkol sa kontrobersyal na P150-million confidential fund na hinihiling ng Department of Education para sa susunod na taon.
“The matter of the confidential funds should be left to the wisdom of the entire membership of the House of Representatives and the Senate and not to Ms. France Castro,” giit ni ni Duterte bilang tugon sa mga kritisismo – lalong lalo na sa naunang pahayag ni Castro – tungkol sa nasabing pondo.
Matatandaang mariin itong tinutulan ng mambabatas at sinabing tila lumalabo ang linya sa pagitan ng edukasyon at surveillance.
“Is the DepEd now a police or military agency that it is conducting surveillance operations on students and teachers? Dapat pala siguro Department of Surveillance na ang tawag dito at di Department of Education,” aniya habang kinukwestyon kung bakit kailangan ng DepEd and confidential fund.
Nagpahayag pa ng pagkadismaya si Castro, at sinabing “It has not even scratched the surface in solving the learning crisis as well as providing adequate classrooms and a substantial salary increase for teachers as well as hire more teachers and now it is conducting surveillance?”
Ayon sa DepEd, ang pondo ay gagamitin sa pangangalap ng impormasyon sa mga illegal recruitment activities sa loob ng mga academic institutions at upang gumawa ng mga hakbang para maiwasan ang mga ito.
“This statement of DepEd is also proof that indeed it is profiling, surveilling and harassing members and officers of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers,” giit ni Castro.
Habang tumitindi ang tensyon, nananatiling matatag ang kongresista sa kanyang paninindigan laban sa nasabing pondo.“We will move for the confidential and intelligence funds be taken out of the DepEd and other civilian agencies and be realigned to the early child care development program because as of now it is just P221 million and is definitely not enough for the program,” aniya.
Photo credits: Facebook/MayorIndaySaraDuterteOfficial and House of Representatives Official Website
