Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones reminded teachers on Thursday that they should remain apolitical at all times and that lending their support for a political candidate is prohibited.
“No. It is forbidden,” Briones emphatically said in an interview when asked if teachers can endorse or support the political candidates of their choice.
“That is the bureaucracy sa [in the] government-neutrality. They are supposed to be neutral. We are expected to be neutral…we have several issuances on that,” Briones told the BusinessMirror. She was referring to Department Education (DepEd) Order (DO) 048, S. of 2018 or the “Prohibition on Electioneering and Partisan Political Activity” and DO 031, S.2019 Prohibiting Activities that Constitute Electioneering and Partisan Political Activity during the campaign period.
When asked again if teachers are allowed to share their political views on social media, Briones replied, “No.”
“Share their political views on [social] media? No, because they are government employees. Kung mag-ano [if they post anything] they should not identify themselves as teachers for they are not expected to do that for bureaucratic neutrality is the major principle,” Briones stressed.
She added: “[If] all people of the government will be campaigning against the President or for the President or whoever… Magkakagulo- gulo ‘yung gobyerno [The government would be in a mess].”
The DepEd chief reiterated that teachers are not supposed to participate or engage in the political campaign.
She also warned that if they do so, they become “vulnerable to complaints and cases.”
Under DO 048, the DepEd reminded its officials, teaching and nonteaching personnel on the constitutional prohibition against electioneering and conduct of partisan political activity, citing that it is against Article IX-B, Section 2(b), Paragraph 4 of the 1987 Constitution, Omnibus Election Code, advisory on Electioneering and Partisan Political Activity issued through Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution 1600298.