Claim: A pro-Marcos Facebook page claimed that incoming Education Secretary and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte promised to remove the K to 12 program once she assumes office.
Facebook page Andz TV, which was created last month and has more than 20,000 followers, said in a video posted on Thursday that Duterte plans to remove the two years of senior high school in K to 12:
“[…] Tiniyak na ni Davao City Mayor at ni Vice President Sara Duterte – Carpio na maaring tanggalin na ang K to 12 program o senior high school sa mga batang mag-aaral sa Pilipinas. […] Laking tuwa naman ng mga magulang sa iba’t ibang panig ng Pilipinas matapos mabalitaan ang nasabing programa na unang gagawin ni Sara Duterte bilang DepEd secretary.”
Rating: The claim is false.
Facts
Duterte said at a June 20 press conference that she and president-elect Ferdinand Marcos have discussed reviewing the implementation of the K to 12 program. Neither she nor Marcos has said they are for its discontinuation.
In response to a question that mentioned parents who want K to 12 abolished, Duterte said: “That is something na kailangan pag-usapan. It cannot be decided overnight. It is something na napag-usapan din namin ni President Marcos. He already gave instructions with regard to the review of the implementation of K-12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd).”
Marcos further explained at a separate press conference on the same day that he and Duterte plan to improve—not stop—the implementation of the program.
DepEd also clarified in 2019 that it cannot arbitrarily discontinue the K to 12 program after similar false claims about its abolition cropped up on social media.
The department said that only the Senate and the House of Representatives have the power to amend or repeal the law that mandates the implementation of K to 12, or Republic Act 10533.
Read the full story on Interaksyon.
