EDUCATION Secretary Leonor M. Briones has ordered the Department of Education’s Region 5 office to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of the torching, allegedly on orders of a school owner in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, of the bags of senior high- school students who failed to comply with the school’s no-bag policy for the day.
Briones said that they are well aware of the incident at Bicol Central Academy (BCA) in Libmanan town.
The initial report submitted by Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad to Briones confirmed partial details of the incident.
Sadsad visited the school on Monday (August 20), along with guidance counselors who will provide psycho-social first aid to the affected students.
While the school administrator of BCA called the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) of Camarines Sur to explain the incident last August 18, a written response, which the education chief demanded, has yet to be submitted.
Briones noted that if the school administrator’s accountability for the incident is established, the DepEd has regulatory tools for private schools at its disposal: a possible suspension or revocation of the school’s permit to operate; or disqualification of the school to participate in the Education Service Contracting and Senior High School Voucher Program; or non-issuance of favorable recommendation for tax exemption, like import duties.
While the DepEd’s Child Protection Policy requires a complaint for child abuse or violence to be filed with the school head of private schools, parents of the affected students are advised to file complaints or administrative charges against the school administrator with the proper authorities.
The DepEd further recommended that the school board advise the school administrator to go on leave—to pave the way for an impartial investigation and to allay the students’ fear of reprisal.
“The department is committed to the full and strengthened implementation of the Child Protection Policy, and to ensuring that learners are in a school environment that does not make light of their rights, safety and dignity,” Briones said.
She assured the parents that the DepEd wants an investigation to be
”just and fair,” adding that, “we will not hesitate to impose the necessary sanctions on those who are proven to have violated the said policy.”
A tweet of a certain Earl Vincent dated August 17 said the “head” of his alma mater, BCA, ordered the destruction of the students’ bags that contain valuable items, such as gadgets like mobile phones and laptops.
The no-bag policy, according to Earl Vincent, was part of a rule implemented for a school event that day called “Tasumaki day,” where some high-school students were asked to fill in for teachers who were having a conference at the time.