By CESAR JOLITO III

The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental has strongly denied recent social media claims alleging that teachers in Barangay Buenavista were threatened by armed individuals, calling the posts “fake news.”

The clarification came in an official statement released on Wednesday, June 25, following a post by the Facebook page Pagmata Negros.

The page claimed that teachers assigned to the hinterland community of Sitio Cantupa in Barangay Buenavista were being harassed by members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

DepEd-Himamaylan Schools Division Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales dismissed the allegations as baseless and unverified.

“After coordination with authorities and school personnel, no such incident has been reported or validated,” Sales said.

“This misinformation only creates fear and disrupts the education of our learners,” she added.

The schools division office urged teachers to remain calm and focused on their duties.

They called on the public to be more discerning about the information they consume and share.

“Let us protect our schools, learners, teachers, and the truth,” Sales concluded.

DepEd-Himamaylan emphasized its commitment to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment, and encouraged the public to report only verified information to avoid causing panic and confusion./CJ, WDJ