THE DEPARTMENT of Education maintained that DepEd Order No. 49 does not violate freedom of expression but only seeks to professionalize the department.

DO 49 mandates personnel to avoid relationships and communication with learners outside of the school setting.

DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa said that DO 49 guidelines recently issued to encourage professionalism in the delivery of basic education programs is only a reminder of the Code of Conduct for civil servants, which applies to public school instructors as well.

“DO 49 seeks to, number one, depoliticize ‘yung DepEd, number two…seeks to promote professionalism within our ranks. So hindi lang teachers ‘yan, pati rin po DepEd personnel,” Poa said.

The order also states that employees should refrain from requesting or obtaining support or endorsement from any third party in the hiring, transfer, promotion, removal, or any other personnel movement.

“Sa aming pananaw, there is no infringement of any basic rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of speech, specifically with telling them not to go to politicians para po maiparating ‘yung kanilang concerns,” Poa said.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT party-list said that the order was violative of the freedom of speech of teachers and school personnel.

“Why does the DepEd feel the need to create such an order that gags and threatens teachers and education support personnel which treats them as mere creatures only of the school and dehumanizes them preventing them to exercise their right to free speech, expression, to organize and be able to voice out their grievances?” Castro said.