DepEd probing 2 cases of child grooming, justifies confidential funds

MANILA —The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking into 2 cases of child grooming, or when teachers or adults "groom" minors to be their "dates."

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Child grooming was one of the reasons the DepEd cited last year when it sought P500 million in confidential funds for 2023.

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel asked DepEd to supply data on the use of confidential funds against child grooming.

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DepEd Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa said the agency had submitted its accomplishment reports.

"Sa ngayon po ang ongoing pa lang po na-handle natin na child grooming case ay yung nasa Cavite, yan po ay ongoing na po ang prosecution and meron rin po sa Zamboanga. So 2 cases ang officially na under ng DepEd," he told lawmakers.

(We are handling a child grooming case in Cavite, prosecution is ongoing for that, and there is also a case in Zamboanga. So 2 cases are officially under DepEd.)

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But Manuel claimed this low record meant that child grooming was only fabricated as an excuse for the confidential funds.

"Parang ang naging dating po sa akin, nag-iimbento tayo ng dahilan to justify confidential funds," Manuel said.

(For me, it seems that we are inventing a reason to justify confidential funds.)

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte in the same briefing said, "There is a purpose and a need for confidential funds in the DepEd, because basic education is intertwined with national security."

"But of course, as we always say, we leave it to the discretion of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the wisdom of granting confidential funds to DepEd," she added.