BATO EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT POTENTIAL INCREASE IN RECRUITMENT OF INSURGENTS AFTER REMOVAL OF DEPED CIF

MANILA — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has called on teachers to be more vigilant following the removal of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) from the Department of Education (DepEd) by the Senate on Thursday.

Dela Rosa expressed concern about a potential increase in the recruitment of insurgents among basic education learners due to the absence of CIF. He commended Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte for not pursuing CIF for both the Office of the Vice President and the DepEd.

Dela Rosa urged teachers to ensure that students are not recruited by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in remote areas, leading them to fight against the government and potentially lose their lives.

He emphasized the need to prevent the recruitment of students by insurgents, citing a previous Senate investigation into missing Senior High School learners who were recruited by insurgents.

The senator noted that the removal of DepEd’s confidential funds might embolden insurgents, as these funds were intended to counter recruitment efforts targeting students in Senior High School.

The DepEd had previously stated that CIF was crucial for addressing threats to the learning environment, the safety of personnel, and various forms of misconduct.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go praised the Senate for adding PHP3 billion to the DepEd’s budget. He expressed admiration for Vice President Duterte’s decision not to pursue confidential funds, aiming to resolve the divisive issue.

Go emphasized the importance of allocating the removed budget back to programs that benefit the country, particularly addressing the backlog in classrooms.

The DepEd had requested PHP150 million as CIF, but the House of Representatives cut this amount.

The approved 2024 budget for DepEd in the 2024 General Appropriations Act is PHP718.082 billion out of the proposed PHP758 billion.

This budget covers various aspects, including the Office of the Secretary, Early Childhood Care and Development Council, National Academy of Sports, National Book Development Board, National Council for Children’s Television, National Museum of the Philippines, and the Philippine High School for the Arts.

(ai/mnm)