Espino adopts “wait-n’-see” on superintendents’ case
LAPUS ORDERS REVIEW OF GUIDEBOOKS
LINGAYEN–The provincial government is adopting a wait-and-see attitude on the reported re-assignment of Division Superintendents Alma Ruby Torio and Armando Aquino of Pangasinan 1 and 2, respectively.
Provincial Information Officer Butch Velasco said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has decided to give the issue the “benefit of the doubt” by creating a committee from the Department of Education (DepEd) to review the guidebooks in question.
The guidebooks were developed under the initiative of the two superintendents and adopted by the provincial government for all public schools in Pangasinan.
The provincial government has thrown its full support behind Torio and Aquino who were earlier ordered by Lapus to be reassigned to lower positions within the province for supposedly violating DepEd policies in the production of the guidebook called “Course of Study”.
Governor Amado Espino, Jr., in a fighting mood, said if the two superintendents are re-assigned, he would take it as a “punishment not just for the two education officials but for the whole province” as the provincial government funded the reproduction and distribution of the books.
“The position of the provincial government is that a punishment for the two superintendents is also a punishment for the province. This is the reason why Governor Espino has said he is not taking the issue just sitting down,” Velasco said.
Torio would seemingly be the only one to bear the “punishment” as Aquino is due for mandatory retirement this month upon reaching age 65. He already filed his terminal leave.
The re-assignment of Torio and Aquino is supposed to take effect in June, the start of the school year 2009-2010.
Espino has sent a letter to Lapus in defense of the two superintendents who, he said, are being unduly punished for pioneering effort that aims to improve the quality of education in the province.
The provincial government, in an effort to seek the support of a higher office, has also furnished President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a copy of the guidebooks to allow her to personally review and “appreciate” the value of the guidebooks.—LM
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