Senate President Vicente Sotto III has expressed objection to a Department of Education (DepEd) memorandum order encouraging the celebration of “Pride Month” in schools which he related to one of the “deadly sins” in religion.
During the plenary debates on the DepEd’s proposed 2020 budget Tuesday night, Sotto raised having informed of a “regional memorandum order” by the department calling for the inclusion of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT+) Pride Month in its school calendar for the month of June.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, sponsor of the DepEd budget, said the agency was aware of the said memorandum order, which was issued by the DepEd division office in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
Cayetano, however, explained that the DepEd order did not require students and teachers to participate or hold activities related to the Pride Month.
“There were no penalties imposed on schools that did not comply. There were no repercussions for schools, students or teachers who did not participate. Rest assured that the DepEd and its local offices have not required teachers and students to join any activity, demonstration or rally pertaining to Pride celebration,” Cayetano said, reading part of the DepEd’s official response.
“They can participate, there’s the freedom to do so but they cannot require,” she clarified to Sotto.
“Well, I am just concerned this might cause confusion in young minds, especially, I heard the memo was quite encouraging because it is integrated in some of the activities of the students from kindergarten to senior high school,” Sotto reacted.
“And it was lumped together with women’s month, breastfeeding month, peace education month, children’s month, the 18-day campaign to end violence against women, and human rights month. These are all very good undertakings but may sumingit na ganoong biglang Pride Month,” he lamented.
Sotto continued: “As far as I know, pride is still one of the seven deadly sins. As a matter of fact, in my book that I wrote many years ago, ‘Vision for a Drug-Free Philippines’, I’ve written it that pride is the ‘head of Satan, and humility is his headache’.”
“So I hope that the Department of Education will try to avoid something as controversial as this,” he told DepEd officials, led by Secretary Leonor Briones, present in the budget deliberations.
Apparently unsatisfied, Sotto asked if the DepEd division order is still being implemented.
Cayetano, who was seated beside Briones, said the order was no longer in effect.
“She had mentioned to me that they would want to be sure that this is clear, so that there’s no confusion,” the senator said, quoting the DepEd secretary.
Then Sotto “accepted” the DepEd’s responses.
The Pride Month is celebrated worldwide in June as a movement for equal justice and opportunities for members of the LGBT community.
Sotto, a devout Catholic, has been opposed to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill which seeks to protect members of the LBGT+ community from discrimination.
He is pushing instead for a “comprehensive anti-discrimination bill” that would cover religious belief, race, ethnicity, and social class, and not only SOGIE. (Vanne Terrazola)
