To say that ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio didn't like Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro's characterization of "some teachers" in relation to the deadly Zamboanga City school shooting is an understatement.

That's why Tinio, a deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives, is asking Palace mouthpiece to make a public apology, even as he described the latter's remarks as "unwarranted" and "illogical".

"To the Presidential Spokesperson: irespeto mo ang mga pangalawang magulang ng ating mga anak. Mag-sorry ka sa kanila," Tinio said on Wednesday morning, Aug, 19.

(Please respect the second parents of our children. Apologize to them.)

"Dapat bawiin ni Usec. Claire Castro at humingi siya ng paumanhin sa lahat ng guro sa di-katanggap-tanggap at wala sa lugar na paninisi niya sa mga guro para pagtakpan ang kabiguan ng Marcos Jr administration na pangalagaan ang kaligtasan ng mga estudyante, guro, at empleyado sa mga paaralan," he said.

(Usec. Claire Castro should retract and apologize to all teachers for her unacceptable and misplaced blame on them, which was meant to cover up the Marcos Jr. administration’s failure to safeguard the safety of students, teachers, and school employees.)

"Her comments were unwarranted, gratuitous, and illogical - inexplicably lashing out at teachers when asked about the school shooting incident in Zamboanga," noted the Makabayan congressman.

On Tuesday, at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a Grade 9 student armed with two firearms shot and killed another student before taking his own life. Two others were injured and hundreds of students were evacuated during the ordeal, which was was disturbingly livestreamed by the shooter.

"The alarming rise in such incidents is a complex issue involving insufficent school funding, lack of access to mental health services, and lax gun control, for which teachers must not be used as scapegoats," Tinio said.

"Huwag ibintang sa teachers ang mga kakulangan ng gubyerno," he added.

(Let's not blame teachers for the government's shortcomings.)

Asked about the deadly school shooting--the second in the Philippines in less than a month--Castro was quoted as saying: "Ang isa sa mga nakikita rin ditong solusyon ay dapat na ang mga kabataan natin ay nagagabayan, hindi lang ng kanilang mga magulang kung hindi sa kanila mismong paaralan."

(One solution seen here is that our youth should be guided not only by their parents but also by their schools.)

"Minsan na po nating nakita mismo ang ibang mga guro ay lumalabag sa ganitong klase ng moralidad. Sila mismo ay nagtuturo sa kanilang mga estudyante kung papano maging walang modo lalung lalo na sa mga nakakatanda or sa mga ibang tao," Castro said.

(We have already witnessed some teachers themselves violating this kind of morality. They even teach their students how to be disrespectful, especially toward elders or other people.)

Tinio said that Castro "disrespects the hard work and dedication of teachers who fulfill their mission of educating and molding students day in and day out".

The congressman says teachers do so, "often going above and beyond their call of duty despite inadequate pay, systemic neglect, and insufficient government support".