DepEd denies calls for Sec Briones to resign, states reports as ‘fake news’

On Friday, the Department of Education (DepEd) denied that there are “legitimate” calls for the resignation of Secretary Leonor Briones, saying that the sources of this information are “fake.”

There was a media report that claimed thousands of public school teachers in elementary and junior and senior high schools in Pangasinan were calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Secretary Leonor Briones for supposedly not being able to perform her duties as DepEd chief anymore.

Aside from competence, the said article which was supposedly airing the side of teachers also touched on Briones’ fitness to lead the DepEd because of her age.

Photo credit: deped.gov.ph

DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, during the Handang Isip, Handa Bukas virtual press briefing, said that the calls for the resignation of Briones supposedly coming from DepEd’s ranks are not true. He said that a validation with DepEd officials in the province showed teachers in their jurisdiction do not harbor this sentiment.

Upon our validation, first, the so-called thousands of public school teachers in elementary and junior high school having urged President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Education Secretary Leonor Briones, that is fake,

he told a press briefing.

“There is no such source for that and from all of the representatives of the teachers there as well as the divisions and regions, there is no truth to this lead paragraph and as you have seen, it was actually sourced from these unnamed three [district supervisors],” he added.

What was referred to was Dagupan City, three district supervisors, and there are only 10, and all of these division superintendents of Dagupan attest that no interview with any of them took place or any statement as quoted in the report as have been made,

the official said.

However, Malaluan said DepEd could not verify two school principals’ supposed statement from Pangasinan 2 Schools Division Office as it could not speak with all the principals under the concerned jurisdiction.

As for Briones age, who turned 80 years old last October 16, brushed off the issue saying that “age is unimportant” since many important figures – who contributed much to the society – “were not necessarily teenagers.”

Nevertheless, Malaluan also debunked allegations that teachers in Pangasinan were made to spend their own money for the printing and reproduction of self-learning modules.

These statements are from the division superintendents, the officers of the PTA (Parents-Teachers Association) Federated in Dagupan City, the Dagupan City Public School Teachers and Employees Association, the Philippine Elementary Schools Principals Association in Dagupan, and National Association of Public Secondary School Heads in Dagupan, all disputing such a claim in the report and also attesting to their support for the secretary,

he added.

Further, Malaluan also denied that DepEd Ilocos Region director Tolentino Aquino had instructed teachers to stop using the self-learning modules from the DepEd central office amid reports of errors.