MANILA, Philippines – A teachers’ group is speaking with its lawyers and Department of Education (DepEd) officials regarding filing a possible case before the Supreme Court after the group discovered the inclusion of funds for the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and other educational institutions in the budget of the Education department.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Thursday believed that the current administration is skirting the law by lumping military and police academy funds with those of the Dep-Ed “to meet the required amount as stated in the Constitution.”
“Iniikutan po yung batas. Kasi before hindi naman ganito eh. Well, that's the reason kung bakit namin nire-raise yung issue. Para once and for all, malaman natin, we will go as far as the Supreme Court to resolve this issue,” Benjo Basas, Spokesperon of TDC said in an interview on program DZRH Balansyado.
Watch full interview here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BHHkFQpGq/
The group raised its concerns, after the inclusion of funds for the PMA, National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), PNPA, Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) and the Local Government Academy (LGA), in the budget of the education sector, which holds the bulk of the Php 1.055 trillion budget under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Prior to the 2025 National Budget, such educational institutions obtained their allocations from their own agencies.
Basas also disputed Congress’ explanation that the reason military and police academy funds are included in the budget of the education sector is because these are also “educational institutions”.
“Hindi lang naman ito issue ng semantics, hindi lang naman ito issue ng terminolohiya. Issue po ito ng Constitutional provision at intensyon ng Saligang Batas,” Basas said.
“Yung mismo probisyon. Anong sinasabi doon? Sinasabi doon, the State should assign the highest budgetary priority to education,” he added.
Basas reiterated that the group trusts the Supreme Court and its determination if such actions by Congress is unconstitutional, if its legal or not.
“And of course, yung Supreme Court po naman, pag nag-desisyon, eh nag-desisyon din siya ng remedy sa mga usapin nila. And we hope na madali po namin itong isasayos,” Basas mentioned.
Basas added said that the TDC is now convening it members for a meeting to further discuss the issue and the possible next steps that they will undertake.
