“Sara Duterte does not even know me. She might be randomly pinpointing people. Why would they red-tag a full-time teacher like me?” Pilar Barredo asked. READ:
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte is on a warpath against the public school teachers’ union, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and its affiliated party-list organization.
On October 1, 2018, Barredo and two other officers of ACT Davao were expecting a meeting with Mayor Sara Duterte after the flag ceremony at city hall. They had been invited by Councilor PiIar Braga, a former teacher and civic leader who had proposed an ordinance to grant subsidies to teachers from the city’s general funds.
She was irked by the group’s Facebook post, and asserted that the city government had provided allowances through Christmas gift checks worth P2,000, released every December since 2016.After the mayor’s tirade, the proposed city legislation to provide monthly subsidies to teachers was never heard of again.
Her targeting of ACT seemed to be calibrated alongside the red-tagging campaign of the military against leftist party-list organizations. “The regional office has been asking for the list of all ACT members in the region, which is a violation of privacy and of the right to membership in any organization, resulting in a deadlocked status,” Castro said.
In Barangay Ma-a, Barredo saw her photo along with the photos of local activists in a poster, which tagged them as “Wanted” and “NPA recruiters.” “Some members withdrew their membership. Others did not want to raise their concerns and remained silent. They did not want their involvement to get exposed,” he said.Barredo, who teaches technology and livelihood education subjects, remembered how her co-teachers used to come to her for help. This interaction disappeared when the attacks by local authorities started.
Barredo said she saw in her work with ACT that public school teachers could have their voices and concerns heard when they are organized. The posts elicited hateful comments. Many of those who responded commended Duterte’s statement as an act of bravery and a supposed brand and legacy of the Duterte family. A significant number of commenters wanted to abolish ACT after no less than the Vice President “exposed” them.
“I am not privy to the reason why she continues to red-tag us,” Castro said. “ACT has been very vocal in its position against anti-teachers and anti-education policies. For a long time, we have raised our issues and presented our alternatives. As we all know, the Dutertes cannot stand dissent.” Escalante said Duterte should realize that the demands they raised with her when she was mayor are the same demands she faces everywhere: the need for higher salary and allowances, and the shortages in classrooms, teachers, and school materials.
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