DepEd-7 will also inquire about the Madridejos crowd

Students in school uniforms are among those who joined the crowd that gathered in Kota Park, Madridejos on November 27, 2020, where Suroy-Suroy Sugbo was held on Bantayan Island. | CDN digital photo by Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Central Visayas Department of Education (DepEd-7) will conduct its own investigation into the crowd gathered during the Madridejos stop in Suroy-Suroy Sugbo on Bantayan Island on November 27, 2020.

DepEd-7 director Salustiano Jiménez announced that his agency had directed the Cebu province division of DepEd (DepEd-Cebu) to form an “investigation” team. The team, Jiménez said, would validate reports that students were told to come out of their homes, in school uniforms, to greet participants in the three-day event.

“We have received unverified information about this, and that is why we will form an investigation team that will investigate. We have instructed the division of the province of Cebu to verify these reports, ”Jiménez said in a mixture of Cebuano and English.

Jiménez also said they would determine the appropriate penalties for any school official and worker found to be responsible for the event.

“DepEd will see what we can do if it is shown that teachers or principals are behind this incident … and the seriousness of the situation so that we can assess what the sanctions will be, if any,” he added.

The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo on Bantayan Island drew criticism online when photos and videos from the Madridejos stage, which showed a large crowd gathered in Kota Park regardless of physical distancing, went viral.

They criticized government officials for not immediately addressing the issue.

The event was also attended by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque along with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Visayas Presidential Aide Michael Lloyd Dino, the mayors of the three cities on the island of Bantayan, and former Miss Universe Philippines 2020 candidates.

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The secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Eduardo Año, previously ordered the investigation of the incident, along with a similar one that was allegedly graced by Senator Manny Pacquiao.

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Photos taken by CDN Digital at the event showed that students, dressed in school uniforms, were part of the crowd seen in Kota Park on November 27, 2020.

But according to Jiménez, face-to-face classes were not yet allowed, and that a proposal seeking its resumption was still pending before the national government’s anti-coronavirus working group.

He also said that they did not receive any requests asking if students would be allowed to leave their homes for school-related activities.

“If the schools, teachers and principals are involved in this, we don’t get any coordination from them,” Jiménez said.

The protocols of IATF-MEID or IATF (Inter-Institutional Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) and DOH (Department of Health) at the reopening of this school year last October established that face-to-face classes would be prohibited.

Meanwhile, Jimenez urged all schools in central Visayas to adhere to coronavirus protocols and first seek permission from DepEd officials before engaging in any school-related outdoor activities.

“Considering we are under MGCQ (modified general community quarantine), they really should ask permission because there are policies,” he said. / dbs

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