Duterte: No penalties for angry teacher in viral Tiktok video

There will be no sanctions or penalties to be given to the public school teacher scolding her students in a viral Tiktok video.

Vice President and Department of Education (Deped) Secretary Sara Duterte, in an interview during her visit to Cambodia, said the public school teacher in the viral video has already submitted an explanation of the incident.

“Ang una kong naging reaction is tao lang ‘yung teacher (My initial reaction was that the teacher is just human),” Duterte said. “Lahat tayo umaabot sa punto na nagagalit tayo lalo na kapag nafu-fustrate tayo (We all reach a point where we get angry, especially when we’re frustrated),” she added.

Duterte noted that is “especially true” for teachers because they not just dealing with one person. “Ang isang klase ay merong from 25 to 45, sometimes 55, students (In a class, they have from 25 to 45, sometimes 55, students).”

Over the weekend, a video of a teacher scolding her students went viral. Netizens were quick to call out the said teacher and Deped due to the incident.

Deped immediately asked the concerned regional office to look into the matter. A show cause order was given to the teacher to allow her to explain her side.

“Nakita ko iyong explanation niya, and then sinabihan ko ang regional office natin na there will be no penalties for the teacher (I saw her explanation, and then I informed our regional office that there will be no penalties for the teacher),” Duterte said.

Asked why the teacher had to scold her teachers on live video, Duterte noted that based on the teacher’s explanation, she was not aware that she was online.

“Ang sabi niya, hindi niya alam na online siya...hindi niya alam na naka-online siya (She said she didn’t know she was online...she didn’t realize she was online),” Duterte said.

Duterte told the concerned regional office to remind the teacher that “if she is angry, she has to pause.”

“Itigil muna iyong klase. And when she’s not angry anymore, saka siya magklase ulit. There’s a need to pause pag galit iyong teacher. Iyon lang ang sinabi ko na i-remind sa teacher (Let’s pause the class for now. And when she’s no longer angry, then she can resume the class. There’s a need to pause when the teacher is angry. That’s the only thing I reminded the teacher),” Duterte said.

As the video continued to make rounds online, teachers called for the protection of their fellow teachers.

Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) urged the public and concerned agencies to look beyond the viral video and focus on a “bigger problem” which is discipline in schools.