Tuesday, July 18, 2006

What DepEd Needs is a Politician

The appointment of Jesli Lapus as Secretary of the Department of Education was greeted by protests by militant teachers led by Domingo Alidon, DepEd Union president and Antonio Tinio, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) president. The two had opposed Lapus' appointment saying that they do not want another politician to occupy the post.

Mr. Alidon and Mr. Tinio did not say exactly why they do not want politicians to occupy the DepEd post but I suspect that they are still "traumatized" by the reforms instituted by the late Secretary Raul Roco. You see, it was during Roco's tenure that DepEd Central Office personnel lost their "overtime pay allowances" - which sometimes amounted to twice their monthly salaries - when he ordered the practice stopped. It was also Roco who outlawed compulsory "donations" (i.e. Boy Scouts, Red Cross, etc.) during school openings which understandably pissed a lot of principals because they lost their slush fund. The reforms that Roco instituted in DepEd restored the faith of our people in an institution racked by corruption and inefficiency so much so that in one SWS survey, DepEd enjoyed the highest approval rating in its entire history. Aside from that, DepEd had one of the highest enrolment rates during his term because parents no longer had to pay "donations" every school opening. If these are the real reasons why Alidon and Tinio do not like politicians, then by all means let's appoint politicians!

I wonder why Alidon was silent all throughout the term of Secretary Ricardo Gloria (who was not a politician) when corruption was so rampant in DepEd? Since he claims to be an anti-graft advocate, I wonder why I haven't heard Alidon expose corruption perpetuated by DepEd rank-and-file employees which I'm sure, as Union president, he must be aware of. I am also wondering why Alidon always makes noises everytime a new DepEd secretary is appointed, only to become silent after the new head conducts a "dialogue" with his group. What's going on Alidon?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think that is the reason why ACT doesn't want another politician to sit in the DECS office ... as far as I recall it was the DECS people not the DepED Union and progressive teachers who wants ROCO out of the DECS office because it was them who were really affected by the reforms made by ROCO .... di ba nga dinala pa nila sa Ombudsman ang case ni Roco dahil wala na silang kickback sa pauntang sa loob ng DECS at alam ko naputol ang pautang sa loob dahil illegal yun. Walang nagawa si Roco kundi magresign sa utos na rin ni GMA.

tama naman sila e, we dont need another politician sa DECS lalo na kung sunud sunuran lang kay GMA at hindi nagpapatupad ng tunay na adhikain para sa edukasyon

Oliver M. Mendoza said...

You have it the other way around Melai - it was Alidon and his ilk that filed a corruption case against Roco with the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, not the "progressive" DECS people. And Roco resigned because of delicadeza, not because "inutos ni GMA." Alidon is using the peoples' natural distrust of politicians to further his own agenda and expand his own "power" in DepEd. People must be made to see throught that...

Anonymous said...

the difference between Central Bank and DECS vis-a-vis LandBank and DepEd is history.

Dapat dito sa Dept of Education i-abolish na rin tulad ng CB to BSP.
Nakikita sa darating na panahon na magkakaroon ng "Kagawaran sa Pagsusuri ng Mentalidad ng mga Pinoy"