THE camp of vice president-elect anf outgoing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio disowned a quote card of the latter saying that she will be amending the K to 12 program and to revive the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
In a statement forwarded to the media on Thursday, June 2, Liloan, Cebu Mayor Christina Frasco, Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson, said that these publication material had been circulating on social media “falsely attributing” the Vice President claiming that the latter will amend the basic education curriculum and the introduction of ROTC and mandatory service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Vice president-elect Sara Duterte has never released any statements to this effect. The quote card is fake,” Frasco said.
According to the text of the circulating card, the false quote states, “After my proclamation as Vice-President and immediate assumption as Secretary of the Department Education, I will immediately ask the Congress to amend the K12 program to K14+ basic education program. ROTC will be again compulsory plus two years mandatory service in the AFP without salary. SA IKAKAUNLAD NG BAYAN, DISIPLINA NG KABATAAN ANG KAILANGAN. [sic]”
The spokesperson, who will also be serving as Tourism Secretary in the incoming Marcos administration, said that Duterte-Carpio, also incoming Education Secretary, is anticipating these hoax posts.
“This is not the first, and we anticipate that this will not be the last of these nefarious attempts to discredit, attack, and attribute lies and conjectures against Vice President-elect Sara Duterte as she transitions into the role of the Vice President and the Secretary of Education,” Frasco said.
She reminded the public to be cautious in sharing posts, and refer to the official social media platforms of the incoming Vice President.
“The public is enjoined to be circumspect against persons and groups who will no doubt continue to proliferate disinformation against Vice President-elect Sara Duterte in the coming months and years due to their own vested interests,” the spokesperson said.
A day before, the outgoing mayor’s camp also issued a warning to the public against individuals presenting themselves as her representatives to allegedly collect advance payments for Department of Education (DepEd) projects.
Frasco said a fraudulent scheme is targeting DepEd’s contractors and suppliers.
Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio, in a previous interview, said that reviving ROTC has nothing to do with her appointment as DepEd secretary, emphasizing that the program is a tertiary subject under the Commission on Higher Education.
Duterte-Carpio, who was promoted to colonel in the Reserve Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in 2018, earlier proposed a mandatory rendering of military service for all Filipinos 18 years old and above when she gets elected as vice president.
This had led to speculation that the mayor, who earlier eyed the post of the Department of National Defense, will be reviving the ROTC, which used to be 12 units in college.
The mandatory ROTC was abolished in 2002 when then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed a law replacing it with the National Service Training Program, or community service course.
