Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Sara Duterte has said that there will be no charges filed against the Pinay public school teacher who went viral for lashing out at students during a TikTok live.
This came after a teacher found herself in hot water following the viral spread of her TikTok live session where she was heard using derogatory language while criticizing students’ behavior and academic abilities.
In an interview with the DepEd chief on Thursday, March 21, Duterte stated that she had already heard the explanation from the teacher and advised her to take a break from teaching whenever she gets angry and resume the class when she’s calmed down.
“Sinabihan ko ang regional office natin na there will be no penalties for the teacher,” Duterte asserted.
“Just remind the teacher that if she is angry, she has to pause. Itigil muna ‘yung klase and when she’s not angry anymore, saka siya magklase ulit,” the DepEd secretary said.
“Ang una kong naging reaction is tao lang ‘yung teacher. Lahat tayo umaabot sa punto na nagagalit tayo lalo na kapag nafu-fustrate tayo,” she said, addressing the teacher’s display of temper.
She continued, “This is especially true sa mga teachers, dahil ang mga teachers natin hindi lang isang tao ang kausap nila. Ang isang klase ay merong from 25 to 45, sometimes 55, students.”
When asked why the teacher was doing a livestream session while she was scolding her students, Duterte said, “Ang sabi niya, hindi niya alam na naka-online siya.”
According to Department Order 49 signed by Duterte on November 2, 2022, DepEd personnel must “respect legal restrictions and department rules when using social media” and must be “cautious not to spread false information or launch online attacks” against colleagues or students.
Furthermore, “any act by deeds or words that debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being” is considered child abuse, according to DepEd’s 2012 child protection policy.
