Former student recalls sexual harassment by teacher at Bacoor school

A former student at Bacoor National High School said that one of his teachers made advances at him, amid the Department of Education's investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against six teachers at the school.

In Oscar Oida's report on “24 Oras” Tuesday, Johnny (not his real name) said he received inappropriate private messages from one of the accused teachers when he was in Grade 9.

“Minsan po kasi nacha-chat po siya sa akin. Minsan, kapag after class po gusto niya pong pumunta ako sa bahay niya, like kakain tapos snacks or ganoon,” Johnny told GMA News.

“Mayroon pong time na sabi niya po sa akin, tawagin ko raw po siyang ‘baby’ instead of ‘sir’ and then, madalas po siya nagr-ereply sa mga story ko na ang ganda raw po ng katawan ko, ganito, ganyan. Inappropriate for a student and professional teacher po, sir,” he added.

(He occasionally chats with me. Sometimes, after class, he would ask me to go to his place and eat and then have snacks or something. There was a time when he told me that I should call him "baby" instead of "sir." And then he often replied to my stories saying that my body was beautiful, like this, like that. That was inappropriate for a student and professional teacher.)

Johnny said he was traumatized by the incidents.

“Nakadulot po siya ng parang talagang trauma po kasi nadagdagan po ‘yung anxiety ko sa mga ganyang bagay since lapitin po ako ng mga ganoon,” he said.

(It caused me trauma because my anxiety had increased since I had been approached in that way before.)

“The allegations of sexual harassment in Bacoor National High School is very disturbing news and we are taking this very seriously,” said DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa.

The School Divisions Office (SDO) learned of the allegations last week.

“There were six teachers mentioned in the posts. Said teachers were not given any teaching load pending initial investigation on the matter,” Poa said.

“We will continue to coordinate with the SDO and the Regional Office concerned. We have zero-tolerance for any form of abuse in our schools,” he added.

DepEd Bacoor issued a comment on behalf of the school.

“Masasabi po namin na ang aming mga guro ay still credible na magturo kasi nga po kami po ay nagpro-provide ng quality education para sa future ng mga bata,” DepEd Bacoor spokesperson Zeus Karingal said.

“Kung sila ay may issues and concerns, na related sa aming institusyon ay maaari po silang pumunta sa school itself, sa division office or sa regional office,” he continued.

(We can say that our teachers are still credible to teach because we are providing quality education for the future of children. If they have issues and concerns related to our institution, they could go to the school itself, the division office or the regional office.) — Mel Matthew Doctor/BM, GMA News