DepEd hits back at Pacquiao
The Department of Education headed by Secretary Leonor Briones hit back at presidential aspirant, Senator Manny Pacquiao, for being self-righteous after disclosing corruption issues in the department without naming names.
In an interview in the KBPComelec Pilipinas Forum 2022 aired on May 6, Pacquiao said he knows someone in DepEd involved in corruption receiving cuts and/or commissions not less than 40 percent of the project cost. However, Pacquiao refused to name who is involved in it.
DepEd understands that as a public servant, the Senator has "every right, legally and morally to assail and put to question whatever wrongdoing, any person or instrumentality of the government for that matter in his quest to eradicate graft and corruption in the bureaucracy.”
DepEd, however, believes it is also Pacquiao’s moral duty to name names and or identify who is involved in it and not put the entire institution down.
“As we are all aware, the good Senator is a candidate, a viable one for that prestigious office. Therefore, it is a moral duty for the good Senator, being a candidate for the highest office in the land, to name names and/or identify, and not rely on generalities to put down the whole institution of the Department of Education,” the official statement reads.
There are 948,270 teachers under DepEd as well as over 27 million learners.
While there might still be bad eggs within the organization, the leadership of the Department has seen fit to charge these known implicated and remove those found guilty, DepEd added.
DepEd feels this is not the time to condemn the whole institution.
“To allege wrongdoing, unsupported by specific facts or without naming names, is tantamount to false accusation…
The good Senator has been in office for more than 9 years, hence, he cannot claim to be morally blameless if the allegation be true, as selfrighteousness is consuming. The Good Book instructs, “Let any one of you who is without sin cast the first stone.”
Such accusation also becomes untimely as it is already an election and DepEd is worried, it may also affect the public impression on them.
“Though the Comelec is the foremost agency tasked with the electoral process, behind every polling precinct and canvassing center are teachers and DepEd officials and employees. Surely, casting aspersions on the entire institution is very dangerous and might affect public impressions of the integrity of the upcoming electoral results”.
In ending though, DepEd still wishes the boxing superstar-turned politician well.
“The DepEd wishes the good Senator well in his journey towards the highest post of the land. If victorious, may he pray the famous prayer of Solomon, ‘So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9 NIV)’.”