Parents sue DepEd for including sex education in schools

(Updated 3:38 p.m.) About 27 people, including defeated senatorial candidate Jo Aurea Imbong, filed a class suit Monday against education officials for including sex education in schools' curricula. The petitioners asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to restrain the Department of Education (DepEd) from implementing a memorandum that allows the teaching of sex education to grade school pupils who are at least nine years old and those in high schools. DepEd Memorandum No. 26, the order in question, is being implemented in public and private elementary and high schools. Led by Imbong, the petitioners said the memo was unconstitutional and arbitrary, and violates parents' rights to be responsible for the development of their children's moral character. "For being baseless, DepEd Memo 261 is unreasonable and arbitrary unless DepEd is candid enough to admit that its real agenda is to transform the sex behaviour of our kids towards being sex-obsessed," the petitioners said. "On the other hand, to leave sex education to the parents is in line with the principle of subsidiary and the law on exhaustion of administrative remedies, which both mandate that an act be left done by one who is in a better position to do it," they added.
Named respondents in the case were Education Secretary Mona Valisno and Undersecretary Ramon Bacani, among others. It was Bacani who issued the memorandum in 2005. Imbong, a candidate of the Ang Kapatiran Party, lost the senatorial race on May 10. She earlier claimed that teaching sex education in schools violates the 1987 Constituion. [See: Constitution forbids sex education in schools, senatorial bet claims] Imbong said the restriction is provided by Section 12, Article II of the Charter, which states that, "The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government." Imbong used to head the legal office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which is strongly against sex education and the pending Reproductive Health Bill. DepEd retorts Sought for comment, Valisno said she would have to see the petition first before answering the matter squarely. Valisno, however, defended the inclusion of sex education in schools' curricula, saying there is even "an international concern for young girls and boys" regarding reproductive health. "This is to help them make right decisions and to be responsible citizens," Valisno told QTV's Balitanghali. "Under the Philippine main education highway... all children should be able to attain a high quality of education that will make him or her a good person." She likewise said the DepEd's sex education program would integrate the moral component of sex. Compromise Malacañang, meanwhile, expressed hope that a compromise could be reached on the issue. Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said it is a good thing that sex education is being discussed actively so that differences in opinion could be settled. “These are legitimate differences of opinion na kailangang pag-usapan (that need to be discussed) in a healthy democracy. This will be aired vigorously and discussed vigorously and then come up with a constructive solution, most likely compromise na (that is) acceptable sa lahat (to all)," he said. Olivar assured that the suit would be properly handled and investigated by the proper authority. — with Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMANews.TV