DepEd affirms "No militarization in schools"

December 6, 2014
PASIG CITY -- Walang eskwelahan, pribado man o pampubliko, na nagpapahintulot sa pagpasok ng
kahit sinumang armadong indibidwal o grupo, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Br.
Armin Luistro FSC emphasized during a dialogue Tuesday with some Lumad representatives and
members of the Save Our Schools Network on the alleged military presence in some schools in
Mindanao.
Luistro clarified the content of DepEd Memorandum 221 entitled Guidelines on the Protection of
Children During Armed Conflict, issued last 2013. He reiterated that armed persons are not allowed
to enter school grounds following the guidelines stipulated in the said memo.
Nakalagay po diyan sa DepEd Memo na iyan ang sistema ng imbestigasyon. Kasama po diyan na
hindi lang hanggang division lamang. Kasama po sa prosesong iyan ang monitoring, investigation,
and action. Ang laman po ng DM 221 ay ang proseso na sinusundan natin., Luistro explained.
Madali lang magrevoke ng memo. Ang problema, pag ni-revoke ko yang memo, wala tayong
masusundan na proseso para sa hinaing na inyong inilahad. Baka po pwede ninyong ireview ulit
yung memo kasi pag ni-revoke ko po yan, lalu akong walang panghahawakan.
He stressed that DepEd is one with the protesters in their concern for the safety of all persons in
schools. Napagkasunduan namin na DepEd ang mangunguna at magiging tulay para maipakita ang
kanilang mga dokumento at mailahad ang kanilang mga sinalaysay na karanasan. Dahil napapaloob
rin sa EO138 ang mga nasabing hinanaing, amin itong idudulog sa Inter-agency committee sa
pangunguna ng Council on the Welfare of Children.
Executive Order 138 establishes the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as the chair of the
Inter-agency Committee on Children in Armed Conflict, with DepEd as one of its member agencies.
"We maintain that schools are zones of peace so there should be no armed personnel inside school
grounds as it puts our students at risk, Secretary Luistro underscored during the dialogue. He also
emphasized that military operations and engagements are not allowed inside school premises,
except for civil-military activities like Brigada Eskwela and Medical Missions. Pati nga po pulis, hindi
basta puwedeng pumasok sa eskwelahan. May programa dapat yan, walang baril, he added.
The concerns (on military presence in schools) brought to our attention are alarming but we still
need to follow a process, a proper investigation on the allegations we heard in the dialogue,
explained Luistro. He also requested members of the affected schools to submit documentary
evidence like photographs, videos, or narratives of the harassment done by armed personnel on the
schools for a more swift and comprehensive investigation.
At present no documents have been submitted to DepEd by the Save Our Schools Network.
It's our mandate to ensure the safety and well-being of learners, teachers, and staff in our schools
therefore we remind all armed persons, be they members of the military, police, or civilians, to
uphold our guidelines in the interest of keeping our schools safe and peaceful, said Luistro.

END