DepEd investigating slapping incident in Caloocan high school

The Department of Education is looking into the verbal and physical abuse a public high school teacher allegedly committed against a Grade Eight student at the Baesa High School in Caloocan City, GMA News' "24 Oras" reported on Tuesday.

"We'll get both sides and protection for both. Hindi naman po pababayaan 'yan. And then eto na po, ongoing so talagang tutok po kami diyan," said Virginia Villaverde, head of DepEd Caloocan's Investigating Team.

In the video taken last July, the teacher was seen throwing a chair at the young teen, whom she also verbally abused and slapped for playing music in class.

"Una po, sinasakal po muna ako, hindi na lang po ako kumikibo. Tapos biglang sinampal po ako, minura niya po muna ako. Tapos sinampal niya po ako, kinanan niya po ako ta's kinaliwa," the student said.

The teacher and the student have reconciled their differences, but recent events made the teenager's parents reconsider the educator's sincerity.

"Lumalabas na yung mga bata ngayon ang binabaliktad na binibigyan niya ng kasalanan. Ang tanong ko sa kaniya, anong kasalanan ng anak ko, bakit niya sinampal," the student's mother said.

"Dineny niya na hindi niya sinaktan, nung sinabi kong naka-video, walang tanong-tanong, nag-sorry siya sa 'kin," she added.

The student's parents will also press charges against the school principals for allegedly creating harmful posts on social media.

"Isa siyang principal, dumaan siya sa pagka-teacher. Dapat sila yung nagiging modelo ng estudyante. Hindi sila ang maninira," the mother said. —Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News