• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Education has dismissed as fake news a circulating online post which alleged that teachers in Barangay Buenavista in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, are being threatened by armed individuals.
A statement issued by the Dep-Ed Schools Division of Himamaylan City, said that no such incident has been reported to be validated, after they coordinated with the authorities and school personnel.
That misinformation only creates fear and disrupts the education of our learners, it added.
Schools Division Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales called on teachers to remain calm, focus on their duties, and continue building safe and peaceful school communities.
The upland areas of Buenavista barangay in Himamaylan had been the site of numerous encounters between suspected New People’s Army rebels and government forces over the past several months, according to the Philippine Army.
Sales also urged the public to be cautious and critical in sharing information that may be detrimental to public safety in general.
Let us protect our schools, learners, teachers, and the truth, she added.*
