MANILA – Hundreds of fuming public school teachers stormed the office of Muntinlupa City Schools Division Superintendent Priscilla de Sagun calling for her removal from office, Tuesday, Nov. 25.
They said De Sagun has no heart and has neglected the welfare of public school teachers.
Warren Tabulina, president of the Muntinlupa Federation of Public Elementary and Secondary Teachers’ Association, said that De Sagun returned the P1.7 million ($37,831) hazard pay of about 600 teachers in four schools to the Department of Education (DepEd) central office.
The schools are located near the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) compound namely, Itaas Elementary School Main, Itaas Elementary School Annex, Muntinlupa National High School Main and Muntinlupa National High School NBP Annex.
Tabulina said the hazard pay worth P6,000 ($133) is given to teachers each year. But in 2013, the hazard pay was not released.
“There is a Department of Budget and Management Circular that says the superintendent should certify that the four schools located in prison camp are high-risk or hazardous. However, De Sagun did not (give the high-risk certification) and even returned the funds intended for the hazard pay of teachers,” Tabulina said.
The teachers refused to have a dialogue with De Sagun saying that they have had enough.
Frieda Canoy, an elementary teacher from Putatan Elementary School is one of the less than 100 contractual teachers whose contracts were not renewed by Sagun. They were reinstated after they asserted their right, complained and protested at DepEd offices. She said that instead of supporting the teachers’ welfare, De Sagun maligned and insulted them. Master teachers also lamented that they have received insults from the superintendent.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) meanwhile, expressed support to the teachers call for De Sagun’s removal from office. “A superintendent should lead by example. They should not be the one neglecting and maligning teachers. We, in ACT will always support your cause,” Benjie Valbuena, national chairman of ACT said.
Photos and text by Anne Marxze D. Umil
Dapat na maalis si de sagun dahil sa kanyang pagmamalabis sa pananalita,pang-iinsulta sa mga master teacherS. Kapag nagsasalita siya sa harap ng mga tao ay maaakit ka at masasabi mong napAkabait na tao,pEro ang totoo nyan AY KABALIKTARAN.
Bakit hindi nyo ipa-impeach yung inutil nyong mayor (FRESNEDI) dyan? Lalo lang kasi nagkagulo-gulo ang sistems ng pagkakalinga sa kapakanan ng mga guro dyan sa muntinlupa simula nang pagkaisahang iluklok si Fresnedi!