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A day after getting flak from militants and even lawmakers,
Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz on Friday reiterated that there is
no ban for national broadband deal scandal star witness Rodolfo
“Jun” Lozada Jr. from appearing at the graduation rites of
public schools.
Lapus stressed that Lozada can speak before
students, parents, and teachers during graduation rites as long as
he does not create controversy and incite the youth to go against
the administration.
However, Lapus said “we know [Lozada] is
trying to incite something.”
“The DepEd Order No. 57, series of 2005, which
reiterated the department’s policies on the participation of
students in partisan political activities, says that there are long
existing orders on graduation rites and partisan politics in
elementary and high school except colleges and universities,”
Lapus pointed out.
The Education secretary stressed that the order
does not curtail the exercise of the freedom of expression. Academic
discussions of current national issues are encouraged as long as it
is done within the confines of the classroom.
Earlier, Lapus said he will not allow further
“campus tours” by personalities involved in the national
broadband deal scandal, so as to spare schools from politics.
Lapus said education must proceed uninterrupted
and protected. “There is a lot of catching up to do in public
education. We will no longer allow political exercises in public
schools to protect the young minds of our children.”
He added that students from the “toured”
schools are not even voters, and said they should be protected from
politics.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
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