Last week, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced that they are probing the teacher who went viral on TikTok for “insinuating potential child abuse action”. A group has reportedly claimed that the said teacher has already issued an apology.
Also read: DepEd Probes Teacher on TikTok for “Insinuating Potential Child Abuse”
Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) National Chairperson Benjo Basas said in an interview on Teleradyo last Monday (November 8): “Naglabas na ng apology yung ating teacher po dito at sinabi niyang iyon ay katuwaan lang.” (The teacher has already released an apology saying that it was just for fun).
To which, Basas responded: “Again, hindi naman natin pupuwedeng sabihin na yung lahat ng mga bagay basta katuwaan lang ay palalampasin po natin.” (Again, we can’t let everything that’s done “just for fun” pass.)
The nonprofit organization believes in the need to call out the actions of the teacher by their agency. Basas pointed out the importance of investigating the incident: “In child abuse, there is no need for intention as long as [it] is perceived and potential abuse [is] seen by the authority or the offended party, if ever, child abuse would exist.”
The chairperson also shared an update on the investigation. “Nagkaroon ng investigation, na yung discipline committee ng eskwelahan ay tinipon at yun nga, nagkaroon ng tinatawag po natin po ano na recommendation para sa pwedeng gawin ng ating teacher,” Basas said. (There was an investigation where the school’s discipline committee came together, and what we would call a recommendation on what the teacher could do.)
He emphasized, “Again, hindi po namin sinasabi na walang kasalanan yung teacher. Ang sabi nga namin baka merong kasalanan eh. Pero to establish yung kasalanan po na ito, kailangan pong imbestigahan.” (Again, we are not saying that the teacher didn’t do anything wrong. What we are saying is that he could have done something wrong. However, an investigation still needs to be done to establish what that is exactly.)
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