ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio called on Palace Press Officer Claire Castro to retract her remarks concerning teachers’ role in shaping students’ behavior and apologize to educators.

“Usec. Claire Castro must take back her remarks and apologize to all teachers for her unacceptable and out of place statements against teachers in order to cover up for the lapses of the Marcos Jr. administration to safeguard students, teachers, and school employees,” Tinio said in a statement.

Tinio was responding to Castro’s remarks during a Palace briefing on Tuesday, 18 August, when she said some teachers were failing to properly guide students and instill good values.

“One of the things that we see as a solution is for children to be properly guided, not just by their parents but in the schools themselves,” Castro said. “We sometimes see teachers violate this type of morality.”

Her remarks drew criticism on social media, particularly because they came amid discussions surrounding the fatal shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

An armed student killed a fellow student and injured several others at the school on Tuesday before taking his own life.

The incident came just over a month after another school shooting was reported in Tacloban.

Tinio said Castro’s remarks were disrespectful to the “hard work and dedication of teachers who fulfill their mission of education and molding students day in and day out.”

He said teachers already contend with inadequate compensation and insufficient government support.

“Her comments were unwarranted, gratuitous, and illogical, inexplicably lashing out at teachers when asked about the school shooting incident in Zamboanga,” Tinio said.

“The alarming rise in such incidents is a complex issue involving insufficient school funding, lack of access to mental health services, and lax gun control, for which teachers must not be used as scapegoats,” he added.

‘No blame, just a reminder’

In a separate briefing Wednesday, Castro denied blaming teachers for the shooting, saying her remarks were intended as a reminder about educators’ role in guiding young people.

She cited instances in which educators allegedly taught or encouraged students to use inappropriate language directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We respect teachers, perhaps there was a misinterpretation because the person who expressed the opinion immediately got it wrong and said we’re blaming teachers,” Castro said.

“This is not putting blame. This is a reminder. I would never disrespect teachers because my mother was a public school teacher even before I was born,” she added.

Castro maintained that she never intended to blame teachers for the recent school tragedies.