Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro holds a news briefing in Malacañang on July 15, 2026. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED) </strong>— Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Wednesday said she is not blaming teachers for violence in schools, adding criticism of her comments the previous day were caused by a “misconception, misinterpretation, misunderstanding” of what she said.</p><p>Castro said Tuesday when asked about the school shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga in Zamboanga City that some teachers set bad examples and teach students to be disrespectful to others.</p><p>This prompted criticism from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and the Teachers&#x27; Dignity Coalition.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio earlier Wednesday said Castro should retract her statement and apologize.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/ateneo-school-shooter-took-2-guns-from-customs-exec-father-s-car-boc-chief-1016"><strong>Zamboanga school shooter took 2 guns from Customs exec father’s car–BOC chief<br/></strong></a></div><p>Castro on Wednesday said she had not been assigning blame.</p><p>&quot;Ito ay pagpapaalala sa ating mga kagalang-galang na mga guro kung ano po ang kanilang malaking role bilang tagahubog ng magandang kaugalian lalung-lalo na sa mga kabataan,&quot; she said.</p><p>(It was a reminder to our honorable teachers of their huge role in shaping good manners, particularly in the youth.)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aafZ3TdxAms?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>NO APOLOGY</strong></div><p>Castro said she was referring to a Davao City incident where some students shouted curse words at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he was leaving the city.</p><p>She also showed a screenshot of a video where an unnamed teacher was seen describing the president with an inappropriate adjective.</p><p>She said the incidents prompted the Department of Education to issue a reminder to teachers regarding the responsible use of social media, saying professionalism is expected of the agency&#x27;s personnel.</p><p>It is unclear how the incidents are related to the Zamboanga City incident.</p><p>Castro said she understands the sentiments from teachers&#x27; groups but said she hopes they would not be offended by her reminder.</p><p>The Palace official added her mother is a public school teacher herself in Malolos, Bulacan.</p><p>Castro said she will not apologize for her comments since they were taken out of context.</p><p>&quot;So, siguro po ang dapat na magbigay ng paumanhin ay iyong nagbigay ng maling konteksto sa aking sinabi.&quot;</p><p>(So, it might be that the ones who should apologize are those who put my comments in the wrong context.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT THE TEACHERS SAID </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iaC1_iPhHX4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>Tinio on Wednesday said Castro&#x27;s comments were &quot;unwarranted, gratuitous, and illogical&quot; and make teachers scapegoats for a systemic problem.</div><p>&quot;The alarming rise in such incidents is a complex issue involving insufficent school funding, lack of access to mental health services, and lax gun control,&quot; he said.</p><p>ACT earlier called out Castro for what it called an attempt to shift blame. It also said government &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/18/act-hits-back-at-malaca-ang-over-remarks-linking-teachers-to-culture-of-violence-2132">cannot lecture teachers about the values it has repeatedly failed to uphold itself</a>.&quot;</p><p>In a fresh statement, ACT rejected Castro’s clarification of her remarks.</p><p>&quot;What she calls a misunderstanding is a legitimate and collective response from educators across the country who were directly insulted by the Palace’s sweeping insinuation that teachers are teaching children to become ‘walang modo,’&quot; the group said.</p><p>“What was the point of highlighting that some teachers teach students to misbehave?” it added.</p><p>It said cases of teacher misconduct “should be investigated and addressed through proper accountability” and “should not be casually invoked in a discussion about violence in schools, as though teachers bear responsibility for a culture of impunity rooted in far deeper and more complex failures.”</p><p>In a separate statement, the Teachers&#x27; Dignity Coalition said Castro may have been referring to specific incidents but that the comment was still uncalled for.</p><p>&quot;Cases like this cannot be reduced to the actions—or supposed failures—of teachers alone,&quot; it said.</p><p>It said school environment, access to mental health and psychosocial support, circumstances at home, access to weapons, &quot;and broader social conditions&quot; are all potential factors in incidents of violence in schools.</p><p>The Zamboanga City shooting is the second this year. An incident in a Tacloban City public school in June left three students dead and prompted a review of campus security measures.</p><p>It also revived talk of lowering the age of criminal responsibility for minors and calls for better funding for intervention programs for children in conflict with the law.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/5/marcos-studies-experts-input-needed-on-lowering-age-of-criminal-responsibility-0953"><strong>Marcos: Studies, experts’ input needed on lowering age of criminal responsibility</strong></a></div><div><strong>— With a report from Francis Orcio, ABS-CBN News </strong></div>

<p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Wednesday said she is not blaming teachers for violence in schools, adding criticism of her comments the previous day were caused by a “misconception, misinterpretation, misunderstanding” of what she said.</p>

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Wednesday said she is not blaming teachers for violence in schools, adding criticism of her comments the previous day were caused by a “misconception, misinterpretation, misunderstanding” of what she said.

'No blame': Castro says she only reminded teachers of their role in shaping youth

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'No blame': Castro says she only reminded teachers of their role in shaping youth

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 19, 2026 12:34 PM PHT

|

Updated August 19, 2026 04:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Claire Castro

Antonio Tinio

Alliance of Concerned Teachers

ACT Teachers Party-List

Teachers' Dignity Coalition

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