ACT: Teachers' economic state shows 'improbability' of arrested public teacher's threat vs Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Economic state of teachers shows that arrested public teacher Ronnel Mas could not pose a serious threat to President Rodrigo Duterte when he offered a bounty for the chief executive's killing, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said.
In a statement Wednesday, ACT slammed the National Bureau of Investigation’s arrest of Mas who wrote in a tweet that he is offering a P50-million reward for anyone who could kill Duterte.
NBI slapped Mas with a complaint of inciting to sedition and violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
But the teachers’ group pointed out that the public teacher’s bounty was clearly “improbable.”
ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said: “Teachers’ dire economic state is no secret to the people, especially to the government. 25-year old Teacher Ronnel obviously does not have 50 million to pay as bounty hence his post clearly does not pose any serious threat to the President.”
He added: “Why then did the NBI spend valuable time and resources to apprehend this teacher?"
Entry-level teachers on Salary Grade 11 will receive P22,316 as monthly wage this year, following the Salary Standardization Law. ACT previously asked the government to raise public school teachers’ salaries for a minimum of P30,000 per month.
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The teachers’ group also pointed out that “more violent and disturbing posts and pronouncements” of the president’s supporters did not land them an arrest from the law enforcement authorities.
“It is therefore clear that this is not a matter of implementing the law down to the last letter, but a selective imposition depending on the powers-that-be’s prerogatives,” Basilio added.
He slammed the arrest as an “attack against free speech” and “an issue of repression and punitive actions against dissenters and sentiments that may be seen as 'anti-government.'”
Police also arrested a construction worker in Aklan who said he would “double” the reward for Duterte’s killing and offered P100 million. — Kristine Joy Patag
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