Retired generals appointed to DepEd

MANILA, Philippines — Two retired generals have been appointed to the Department of Education (DepEd).

Retired Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin and retired Brig. Gen. Noel Baluyan have been appointed undersecretary and assistant secretary, respectively.

The DepEd has yet to confirm which strand they will head, but top officials of the agency’s administration strand recently resigned.

Before his retirement, Mempin was the commander of the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division, which has operational responsibility over the Davao Region.

He is also a former commander of Task Force Davao when Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte was the mayor of Davao City.

Last March, the DepEd hired Mempin as a “highly technical consultant” with a salary of P80,000 per month for six months.

Based on his contract, his responsibilities included providing high-level policy advice on “topics that are confidential in nature” and “guidance, technical oversight and expert advice in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of various programs in all levels of governance on safety and security.”

The former military man was also tasked to engage and collaborate with other departments and security-related services.

Meanwhile, Baluyan was the assistant division commander of the 3rd Infantry Division before his retirement in December last year.

Threat

For the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the appointment of the Mempin and Baluyan to the DepEd threatens the democratic rights of teachers.

“Their appointment will not in any way help in our overall endeavor to address the continuing education crises in the country,” the ACT said in a statement last Tuesday.

The group, which is celebrating its 41st founding anniversary, called out the government for “militarizing” the education system, noting Duterte’s recent appointment as co-vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“With this, the ACT calls on the Filipino teachers, educators and education workforce to vigorously and continuously stand for the Filipino peoples’ right to suitable education. Let us remain steadfast in our fight against the present terrorist state, whose effort in destabilizing our decades-long legacy as a bastion for teachers’ rights and welfare (must) be crumpled,” the group said.

“Let us further our unity for a comprehensive change in the existing rotten curriculum and battle all hardships and challenges to achieve greater triumphs for the teachers and learners,” it added.

‘Hawkish’

The ACT Teachers party-list yesterday expressed “grave concerns” over the appointment of Mempin and Baluyan to the DepEd.

Rep. France Castro said putting “hawkish generals” in key positions in the DepEd is “alarming.”

Castro noted that it only “shows the government’s intention to militarize the education sector, which is supposed to be a safe space for our children to learn and grow.”

“It is clear that the Marcos Jr. administration does not want peace based on justice and addressing the cause of the armed conflict. Instead, they are militarizing the bureaucracy and imposing their militarist mindset on the people,” she added.

The lawmaker also questioned the appointment of former defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr. as presidential peace adviser, saying it is a “clear indication that the government is taking a military approach to resolving the conflict in the country.”

“The appointment of Galvez means that the Marcos Jr. administration does not want the peace process to move forward. We need someone who can facilitate a peaceful dialogue between the government and revolutionary groups in the country,” Castro said.