DAVAO City Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to transfer the affected students of the suspended Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center (Salugpungan) to existing nearby public education facilities.
Duterte, in an official statement issued on Wednesday evening, said the City Government of Davao supports the suspension order issued by DepEd to Salugpungan.
He said the suspension order affects two schools in the city - one in Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District and another in Tamugan, Marilog District.
Duterte, who is the acting mayor while Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is on leave, said to facilitate affected Salugpungan students to nearby schools, namely Bartolome Integrated School in Bartolome, Manuel Guianga, and Bala Elementary School in Sitio Bala, Tamugan.
DepEd-Davao issued a suspension order to Salugpungan and its affiliates after reviewing the reports from National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. that Salugpungan has been using students in rallies and teaching them ideologies against the government, as stated by Melvin Mansaloon Loyod, a former school volunteer teacher.
The order was issued July 10, wherein Salugpungan camp was given until July 22 to reply to the show cause order. The respondents complied with the deadline.
Prior to DepEd's order, the local government have received reports on the suppossed illegibility of Salugpungan to operate.
"We have received reports that these schools lack the required qualification, accreditation, and recognition to continually operate as primary and elementary schools from the Department of Education (“DepEd”) [sic]," the acting mayor said in a statement.
He said the City Peace and Order Council requested DepEd to cancel the permit to operate of the Salugpungan schools "in order to prevent the further waste of time and resources on the side of the pupils and their parents".
"We believe that proper education is a catalyst of peace, and while we put premium to giving education to all, we cannot countenance any form of activity that will undermine the interests of the children," Duterte said.
DepEd-Davao spokesperson Jenielito Atillo told Sunstar Davao the agency already created fact-finding committee composed of DepEd officials to conduct the investigation.
Atillo, meanwhile, said DepEd will assure "fairness and just" as urged by Mayor Duterte.
"We are encouraged to do the best we can: the support of the LGU (local government unit) and their LGU units supporting us. We are dutybound to produce what is being fair and just," he said in a phone call interview.
Atillo said DepEd hopes to finish the investigation soonest because they are concerned of the affected students.
"Kinahanglan namo kini mapadali (We need to fast-track the investigation), pero we will ensure we will have all the angles (that) we feel are important, amo kining tanang tan-awon (we will look into it), to ensure na mabalanse ang tanan (we will be able to balance everything), when the order will come," he said.