By Vergel Labesig
THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers slammed Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte for saying that people opposed to the use of confidential funds are enemies of the state.
“Napakabaluktot naman talaga ng pag-iisip ng DepEd secretary, paanong naging kalaban ng bayan ang mga ayaw sa anomalya at korupsiyon? Ang totoong kalaban ng bayan ay yaong mga ginagamit at nagtatago sa malabnaw na konsepto ng kapayapaan upang maglustay at gumastos ng sangkatutak na pera ng bayan,” Vladimir Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.
“Ang maanomalyang paggamit ng confidential funds at ang mga opisyal na ipinagpipilitan ang kanilang kagustuhan na hindi naman naaayon sa kanilang konstitusyunal na mandato ang mga tunay na kalaban ng kapayapaan,” he added.
The group reiterated that confidential funds should be rechanneled to basic social services such as education. It said that the confidential fund under the budget proposal of DepEd and other agencies amounting to P10.4 billion can build 4,056 or repair 20,280 classrooms. It can also procure 87,038 armchairs or 289,329 laptops for teachers.
It said Duterte should stop asking for confidential funds.
“We remind again and again Secretary Duterte that her job is to lead and resolve the recurring problems of the basic education sector. In her more than a year in the position, not a single centavo was released from the agency’s Quick Reaction Fund which is intended for the immediate repair of classrooms and facilities damaged by typhoons,” Quetua said.
