School in bag-burning video may lose permit to operate, financial aid —DepEd chief

The Camarines Sur school where an official allegedly burned bags of students as a form of punishment may lose its permit to operate if found that it has violated regulations, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said on Monday.

Aside from the permit to operate, the school — Bicol Central Academy in Libmanan — may also lose the financial assistance it receives from the government, Briones said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Briones said an independent body that looks into the performance of private learning institutions every year may recommend the possible sanctions against the school.

"Puwede naming ma-request — tutal ginagawa naman talaga ng independent body na ito na tinitignan, ina-assess 'yung mga private schools — sasabihin nila sa amin na puwedeng i-suspend ang permit to operate at puwede ding sabihin na huwag ibigay 'yung financial assistance," she said.

Briones noted that private schools that offer junior and senior high schools receive financial assistance from the government every year.

The Department of Education has already started its formal investigation, Briones said.

"On the part of the Department of Education, nag-umpisa na kami ng formal investigation," she said, adding they wrote the school's administrator on Saturday asking for an explanation over the incident.

The DepEd chief also said parents of the affected children or even the teachers can file a case against the school officials.

"Even our law, whether you're a child or an adult, talagang bawal naman 'yung gagalawin mo 'yung pag-aari ng ibang tao. So they can file on their own or as a group," she said.

On school administrator

Briones also urged the administrator of the school to take a leave of absence while the investigation is ongoing.

"Dapat mag-take ng leave itong administrator o baka somebody else will take over dahil his mere presence already excites fear on the children, pati mga parents because I understand may political clout din ito. Dapat mag-leave siya," she said.

She said the regional office of the DepEd has deployed a guidance counselor to Bicol Central Academy to deal with the estimated 20 students who were "traumatized" by the incident.

"Kakausapin sila (students) ng guidance counselor natin to assure hindi lamang 'yung parents nila that the whole community and buong bansa ay kakampi nila at pino-protect sila," she said.

'Stupid pala kayo eh!'

In a cellphone video shown in a 24 Oras report on Sunday, senior high school students could be seen standing next to burning items while a man shouted angrily at them, "Stupid pala kayo eh!"

The report said the students had been ordered to fall in line near where their bags were set on fire. Photos provided by the video uploader showed that cellphones and laptops were among the destroyed items. —KBK, GMA News