THE fate of the suspended Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community-owned and operated schools will be determined before the end of September, an official from the Department of Education (Deped) confirmed.
DepEd-Davao spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said the committee finished its investigation almost two months after the suspension was ordered.
“The ad hoc committee was busy gathering all the sides of parties and gathering further evidences on this matter. Pretty soon they will come up with a recommendation,” Atillo said.
He said Salugpungan executives recently faced the committee that was created early this month to gather evidence on the school system’s alleged ties with the communist rebel movement.
Atillo said the committee’s evaluation will be the agency’s basis in deliberating actions on Salugpungan.
“We have gathered enough information already and it’s up to the team to hammer their position and give their recommendation to the Deped-11 regional director,” he said.
DepEd issued the suspension order last July after reviewing the reports from National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and the vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, that Salugpungan has been using students in rallies and teaching them ideologies against the government.
Salugpungan executive director Meggie Nolasco earlier denied Esperon’s claims, saying DepEd did not get their side before issuing the suspension order.
Save Our Schools (SOS) Network, in an official statement issued last September 2, said they continuously condemn the closure of the 55 Salugpungan schools that affected enrolled learners.
“DepEd’s inability to stand by its mandate to protect the interest of the youth to education, proven by the dialogue between the administrators of STTICLCI (Salugpungan school) and Deped Region 11 officials last August 27 at the Deped Region 11 Office wherein Deped representatives said that they are not the right people to tell Salugpongan administrators anything about the suspension order of its 55 schools,” SOS said in a statement.
The group also said “the closure of the said schools, which also resulted to intensified intimidation, harassment, and attacks against the students, teachers, and Lumad communities”.
Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, earlier, called on DepEd to transfer the affected Salugpungan students to existing nearby public education facilities including Bartolome Integrated School in Bartolome, Manuel Guianga, and Bala Elementary School in Sitio Bala, Tamugan.
Duterte also said the City Government of Davao supports the suspension order issued by DepEd to Salugpungan.