Military outpost inside Alcadev campus. Photograph from Karapatan - Caraga
Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC on Monday said that alleged cases of military abuses in several schools in
"Isn't it time to repeal this [memorandum] because of the violations? Unless you repeal this, more lives will be in danger ... I say that blood is in your hands, impunity is going on because of this memo," Gabriela partylist Representative Luz Ilagan told Luistro at the hearing of the 2016 budget of the Department of Education.
For his part, ACT Teachers partylist Representative Antonio Tinio said DepEd should not just investigate the cases, but review and recall the memorandum.
Davao Oriental Representative Thelma Almario, the acting appropriations chairperson, said that DepEd should view "with a sense of urgency" the cases of alleged military abuses in schools, adding that investigations usually take years.
Ilagan cited the recent killing of
The three were allegedly murdered by the tribal militia known as Magahat, although other reports indicated that troops from some units of the Army's 4th Infantry Division were involved.
Ilagan also deplored the alleged attack involving the military-backed paramilitary groups Magahat and Bagani in Purok 16, Sitio Nalindog, Brgy. Bolhoon in Surigao del Sur on August 9, which led to the evacuation of some 45 families and the closure of the Nalindog Tribal Community School operated by the Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur and Alcadev. The militia groups also threatened to burn down the school and volunteer teachers.
The recent attack in Surigao del Sur came less than a week after the illegal arrest of another volunteer teacher in
Luistro said the incidents have been referred to the proper investigating body.
"The Department of Education strongly condemns these alleged incursions of schools. Once it came to our attention, we immediately brought it to the proper investigating body," Luistro said.
The policy being referred to by Ilagan was DepEd Memorandum No. 221 on the Guidelines on the Protection of Children During Armed Conflict, issued on December 13, 2013.
Signed by Secretary Luistro, the issuance allowed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct "civil-military" activities "inside or within a school or a hospital."
Under the memo, Luistro said, the AFP activities will be governed by its own guidelines dated 15 July 2013.
The school principals receive written requests for the conduct of AFP activities, and then forward them to the DepEd division office for approval. After the activity, the school principal is to submit a report to the division office.
The AFP Guidelines indicated that the activities were needed "to prevent" the occurrence of the Grave Violations Against Children During Armed Conflict pursuant to and in compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1612 and 1882, more specifically the violations known as Attacks on Schools and Hospitals.
The main intent of the above policies/guidelines was "to prevent/ bring to unnecessary risk and/or endanger all children, teachers, medical/dental professionals, health workers, and/or employees/workers of the school and hospital concerned, and the school or hospital itself."
Earlier, Kabataan partylist Representative Terry Ridon filed a resolution to conduct an inquiry into the memo.
"Even if both DepEd Memo 221 and AFP Letter Directive 25 only allow what they called civil-military operations, the said issuances would still be inimical to the protection of children's rights. Allowing presence of the military in educational institutions is tantamount to increasing risks for children, especially those living in situations of conflict," Ridon had said.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117519/lawmakers-seek-repeal-of-memo-allowing-soldiers-in-schools
It's the usual commie suspects. Rep. Luz Ilagan, Rep., Rep. Antonio Tinio, and Rep. Terry Ridon are all CPP activists and members of CPP-affiliated party-list political parties. Gabriela Women's Party, ACT Teachers, and Kabataan are all CPP political fronts and members of the CPP political coalition MAKABAYAN (Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan-Patriotic Coalition of Citizens).
ReplyDelete