Malacañang clarified on Wednesday, August 19, that statements made by its press officer were not intended to fault educators for the deadly shooting incident in Zamboanga City, but were instead meant to highlight their critical role in shaping student behavior.
Addressing the media during a Palace briefing, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro responded to what she characterized as a misinterpretation of her earlier statements.
”Gusto lang po natin ipaliwanag at mukhang nagkakaroon po ng misconception, misinterpretation, misunderstanding sa ating nabanggit kahapon,” Castro said.
She asserted that the administration was not casting blame on educators, but rather offering a reminder regarding their formative duties toward students.
”Unang-una ay wala po tayong sinisisi na mga guro. Ito ay pagpapaalala sa ating mga kagalang-galang na mga guro kung ano po ang kanilang malaking role bilang tagahubog ng magandang kaugalian lalung lalo na sa mga kabataan,” Castro stressed.
Castro explained that she meant no offense to the teaching sector when she stated during Tuesday’s briefing that youth require guidance from both parents and educators. In that prior session, she had noted that “we have sometimes seen that even some teachers themselves violate this kind of morality,” and that “at times, they even teach their students how to be disrespectful, especially toward elders or other people.”
To contextualize her statements, Castro cited two separate cases under investigation by the Department of Education (DepEd) involving misconduct by educators.
One case involved Davao City students making remarks about the President that authorities deemed “unacceptable” during a school trip, while the second involved an instructor who allegedly used derogatory language while recording educational video content.
Her initial comments drew sharp pushback from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), which condemned the statements as a “reckless and insulting tirade” and accused the administration of scapegoating teachers to deflect from broader issues surrounding violence.
Responding directly to the group’s condemnation, Castro rejected claims of hostile intent.
”This is not about blaming anyone. I hope we can put my statement in its proper context. This is not an attack on teachers,” she said.
She further noted that referencing the DepEd inquiries was meant to advocate for peer oversight and self-regulation within the educational community.
”So, ngayon ipinakita ko kung bakit iyon ang nasabi natin dahil totoo naman na mayroong mga guro na hindi nagsilbing maganda or modelo sa ating mga kabataan,” Castro said.
”Kaya hinihimok ko po ang ating mga kagaling-galang na guro na magtulung-tulungan po tayo kung mayroon din po kayong nakikitang mga ganitong klaseng mga nangyayari sa kapuwa ninyo guro paalalahanan po natin na kayo po ay tinitingala bilang tagapagturo ng magandang kaugalian sa ating mga kabataan,” she added.
Castro did not issue an apology for her previous remarks, maintaining that “the one who should apologize is the person who gave the wrong context to what I said.”