Lumads file admin raps vs DepEd chief

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Lumad community leaders, students and teachers yesterday filed an administrative complaint against Education Secretary Armin Luistro over the alleged militarization in some tribal schools in Mindanao.

The complainants, who were among those who joined the Manilakbayan 2015 together with the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network, filed the case with the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City before heading home to Mindanao.

SOS Network Mindanao spokesman Rius Valle said Luistro violated several laws when he issued a memorandum in 2013 that supposedly allowed the military to conduct activities in lumad schools. 

The complaint said Luistro, in issuing the order and refusing to revoke it, violated laws such as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. 

The official also supposedly violated the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights, of the Child. 

The SOS Network said Luistro was given two years to revoke the order and it has held dialogues with the agency for several times before giving him a three-day ultimatum.

“We have lost a teacher and many lumad leaders. We will not wait until we lose another one,” Valle said, referring to the killing of lumad school administrator Emerito Samacra in Lianga, Surigao del Sur in September.

Luistro said he is ready to respond to the administrative case filed against him.

 In a text message to The STAR, Luistro said he has yet to receive a copy of the complaint.

“I will respond directly to the Office of the Ombudsman and will be unable to share those publicly,” he said, citing a policy preventing publication of the agency’s responses to court cases.

Luistro said the memorandum simply guides schools on how to protect the children.