A DAVAO City councilor is calling on the Department of Education (Deped) to lift the suspension order claiming some of the Lumad students have been displaced and are staying in the city.
First District Councilor Pamela Librado-Morato, on Tuesday, September 24, said Lumad schools under Salugpungan appealed for its re-opening and requested a dialogue with Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, through a letter officially received by the Sangguniang Panlungsod last September 4.
“Some of the Lumad students have been displaced from their communities in Talaingod and Kapalong due to the militarization in their community and are staying here in a sanctuary in this city,” Librado-Morato said during her privilege speech, adding that the City Council needs to address this issue.
She said the parents of the children complained and opposed the DepEd's recommendation to transfer their kids in nearby public schools, as it could cost additional expenses on their part.
She also called on her colleagues to verify the accusations against Salugpungan, which was accused of using students in rallies and teaching them ideologies against the government, as reported by National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
The councilor questioned DepEd's suspension order against Salugpungan, which had complied with the requirements set by the agency.
"We also further question the process of their suspension, as they had done this without undergoing due process to investigate first the schools to verify the claims of a report," she said.
She also said DepEd “appears to have decided right then” on the school's fate on the basis of hearsay.
Librado-Morato said the abrupt displacement of thousands of children due to the closure was not only an issue of due process but also a “question” of the government's duty to provide education for the Filipino children.
The councilor also urged Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to investigate the allegations thrown against the school.
DepEd, in a previous report, denied claims that the order was "unfair and biased", adding they had given them the opportunity to defend their side.
The agency also previously said they will be revealing the result of their investigation almost two months after the suspension was ordered.