Teachers set national rallies to demand VP Duterte’s impeachment

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Teachers from around the country marched along downtown Baguio on Sunday to back impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte to demand accountability from the former education secretary over questionable use of government funds.

This was a prelude to a nationwide call to action on Jan. 31, in Manila and key cities, according to Vladimer Quetua, national chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), who assembled its members for a national leadership training seminar at Teachers Camp here.

During a briefing on Friday, which was this year’s International Day of Education, Quetua said teachers have been most upset about the new budget law which reduced allocations for schools but retained confidential intelligence funds.

READ: Marcos not blocking impeachment move vs VP Duterte – Palace

“The year just started, but the Filipino people [are] again facing old problems. The budget meant for them has been allocated willy-nilly, which proves how virulent corruption has become,” he said in Filipino.

The overall appropriation for education across the board in the P6.326-trillion spending law (the General Appropriations Act of 2025) is still the highest at P1.055 trillion, including budgets for the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and all state universities, which now include the Philippine Military Academy.

But various government reports show substantial cuts that affect DepEd’s computerization program.

500 teachers

Around 500 teachers from all over the country were expected at the summit, but only a representative group of about 70 teachers walked to Igorot Park to adjust to heavy Sunday traffic jams.

They were joined there by outgoing ACT party list Rep. France Castro and former Rep. Antonio Tinio, who is the top nominee should ACT retain seats in Congress after this year’s midterm polls in May.

Some of them wielded placards that demanded another increase for teaching base pay: “Lutasin ang kahirapan: Sahod itaas, presyo ibaba (Solve poverty: Raise wages, reduce prices of commodities).”

Others placards expressed displeasure at President Marcos for not pursuing harsher punishments for former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter: “Singilin si Marcos sa hindi pagpapanagot sa mga Duterte (Hold Marcos into account for not making the Dutertes pay for their offenses).”

Tinio told the crowd that congressional inquiries have established how the Vice President allegedly mishandled confidential funds inserted in the DepEd budget when she served as its secretary.

“She spent it in 11 days,” he said, making her actions sufficient reason for her impeachment, referring to the P125 million in confidential funds she spent in 11 days in 2022.

Marcos had not backed any impeachment moves in Congress.

Castro had often criticized the DepEd confidential funds because it targeted teachers’ unions and associations deemed as “communist sympathizers” because they dared to speak against government policies.

Inflation

Tinio also addressed how the soaring inflation affected Baguio and Benguet province, the chief suppliers of Manila’s daily salad vegetables like beans, potatoes, cabbages, lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower. Teachers shopping for “pasalubong” (homecoming gift) found high vegetable prices at the Baguio City Public Market, he said.

“And where is the P20-a-kilo rice that the President promised? How much is rice [at the local markets]? P60 a kilo,” Tinio said.

“High wages are necessary not only for us teachers but also other government workers like the policemen who escorted and secured our march, as well as regular private sector workers,” to survive inflation, he said.

ACT officials said this was why the battle cry in the Jan. 31 rallies, particularly Liwasang Bonifacio, would be “Singilin si Marcos, panagutin mga Duterte.”

(2025/01/27-04:40)