Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro refused to apologize to teachers who may have been offended by her remarks linking educators to the behavior of their students, saying that her comments were misinterpreted.

Following Tuesday’s tragic shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Castro’s remarks appeared to be a jab at teachers.

Castro said Wednesday that she was merely reminding teachers of their role in shaping students’ behavior and values.

“First of all, we are not blaming teachers. We are reminding our respected educators of their important role in shaping good behavior, especially among young people,” Castro said in Filipino at a Palace briefing.

“One of the things we see as a solution is for children to be properly guided, not only by their parents but also in schools. We sometimes see teachers violate this type of morality,” she had said on Tuesday.

Her comments drew criticism from ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, who called on Castro to retract her statements and apologize to teachers.

“Undersecretary Claire Castro must take back her remarks and apologize to all teachers for her unacceptable and out-of-place statements against teachers, which appear intended to cover up the lapses of the Marcos administration in safeguarding students, teachers, and school employees,” Tinio said.

He said Castro’s remarks were particularly inappropriate following the Zamboanga shooting, in which an armed student killed a fellow student and wounded another person before taking his own life.