CEBU CITY — A male teacher at Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School allegedly bit two male Grade 10 students, aged 14 and 17, after they refused to lift their shirts and show their abs.
The incident led to legal action and formal complaints from the families of the two students.
The father of the 17-year-old, a police officer, said he was determined to file charges against the teacher.
He said the teacher instructed his son to remove his shirt, warning him of consequences if he did not comply. Despite following the instructions, the teacher allegedly bit the student on the back.
The father took his son to the Cebu City Medical Center for an examination and reported the incident to Police Station 7 in Barangay Inayawan.
He said that while he could forgive, the law needed to be upheld, adding that filing charges would help discipline the teacher.
The mother of the 14-year-old student was distressed over the situation.
She said her son had resisted inappropriate advances from the teacher, who allegedly kissed him during the incident.
Both parents approached Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak for assistance. Tumulak confirmed that evidence, including medical certificates and statements from witnesses, supported the students’ accounts.
Tumulak also said that an administrative complaint has been filed with the Schools Divisions Office in Cebu City and that an investigation was ongoing.
However, the teacher denied the allegations, saying that he had tripped and accidentally fallen on one of the students, which had caused the bite mark.
Maj. Jiceree Basitao, chief of the Inayawan Police Station, confirmed that the father of the 17-year-old had filed a formal complaint.
While the family of the 14-year-old hesitated to pursue legal action, Basitao said he was encouraging them to file a case against the teacher as well.
The investigation revealed that the teacher had previously invited students out for evening meals, but his inappropriate behavior only recently surfaced. Several students, including the class president, provided statements that further corroborated the case against the teacher.
DepEd Central Visayas regional director Salustiano Jimenez also confirmed receiving the report and forwarding it to their legal office.
He said the department would not tolerate such actions from an educator and assured the public that appropriate measures would be taken.
Meanwhile, the school administration also initiated its own investigation and arranged for counseling and stress debriefing for the affected students.
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