Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Displaced Lumad children, who are stuck in Metro Manila due to COVID-19 restrictions, attend a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of classes on Monday. More than a hundred indigenous children from Mindanao sought shelter in Manila since 2018 after their schools were closed due to military operations against alleged communist rebels. Basilio Sepe, ABS-CBN News

Displaced tribal children who are stuck in Manila due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions attend a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of classes at the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City, Philippines on Monday. October 5, 2020. More than a hundred indigenous children from Mindanao sought shelter in Manila after their schools were closed due to the military operations against alleged communist rebels

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ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178684456288320201005-lumad-school-up-opening-bs-s.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Displaced Lumad children, who are stuck in Metro Manila due to COVID-19 restrictions, attend a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of classes on Monday. More than a hundred indigenous children from Mindanao sought shelter in Manila since 2018 after their schools were closed due to military operations against alleged communist rebels. Basilio Sepe, ABS-CBN News </div>MANILA — Sen. Robinhood Padilla&#x27;s statements at an impeachment hearing last week about Lumad schools allegedly recruiting &quot;child warriors&quot; have nothing to do with the alleged misuse of confidential funds, the Save Our Schools Network said.The network, which advocates indigenous peoples&#x27; access to education, also said the Lumad schools were <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/07/18/19/deped-verifying-reports-of-lumad-schools-link-to-leftist-rebels">shut down over alleged links to the communist armed movement </a>in 2019.&quot;The schools had therefore been closed for nearly three years when Duterte assumed leadership of [the Department of Education],&quot; it said.The network said that while Padilla did not name specific schools, figures he cited &quot;corresponds to the 55 Salugpongan schools permanently closed by DepEd Region XI&quot; over the allegations.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/10/02/19/sara-duterte-spars-with-leftist-solon-over-closure-of-lumad-schools">Sara Duterte spars with leftist solon over closure of Lumad schools</a></div>SOS Network said it rejects the allegations. It added they &quot;cannot, by themselves, establish how confidential funds during Duterte’s later tenure were spent or liquidated.&quot;At Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial last Wednesday, Padilla had asked state auditor Xylene del Campo, who had testified on audit findings on how the Office of the Vice President and and DepEd, if she knew about the alleged communist recruitment at alternative and Lumad schools.Del Campo said she did not. She had repeatedly told the Senate impeachment court that her findings were focused on documents submitted by the OVP and DepEd.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/video/news/07/15/19/briones-suspended-lumad-schools-failed-to-comply-with-deped-rules">Briones: Suspended Lumad schools failed to comply with DepEd rules </a></div>SOS Network said the schools had sought to provide children in Indigenous Peoples&#x27; communities &quot;accessible and culturally appropriate education&quot; in far-flung areas.&quot;Their history cannot simply be erased and replaced by the label &#x27;child-warrior breeding grounds&#x27;,&quot; the network said.President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017 <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/07/24/17/duterte-threatens-to-bomb-lumad-schools">accused the schools of recruiting</a> for the Communist Party of the Philippines and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/07/25/17/blog-lumad-youth-faced-with-death-children-will-rise-up-against-tatay">said he would have them bombed</a>. — Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News

Sen. Robinhood Padilla's statements at an impeachment hearing last week about Lumad schools allegedly recruiting "child warriors" have nothing to do with the alleged misuse of confidential funds, the Save Our Schools Network said.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla's statements at an impeachment hearing last week about Lumad schools allegedly recruiting "child warriors" have nothing to do with the alleged misuse of confidential funds, the Save Our Schools Network said.

Padilla statements on Lumad schools don’t explain confidential spending — SOS Network

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Padilla statements on Lumad schools don’t explain confidential spending — SOS Network

ABS-CBN News

Published August 16, 2026 09:50 AM PHT

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Save Our Schools Network

Lumad schools

Robinhood Padilla

Impeachment

Sara Duterte

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