Parents, teachers await Pisay board final decision on students in photo scandal

With two days to go before the graduation rites, the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) system has yet to issue a decision on calls by some parents and students to ban from graduating the six students responsible for spreading lewd photos of their schoolmates.

Lawyer Susan Fernandez, president of the Executive Parent Teacher Council (EPTC), told GMA News Online on Monday night that the board did not reach a resolution on the appeal during its Saturday meeting as only six of its 13 members were present.

Six members sent representatives, who could not vote on the matter, while two were absent.

Fernandez said they were informed of the development by PSHS deputy executive director Rod De Lara in a meeting Monday.

"We were told that the representatives of the BOT were asked to give their principals copies of the documents and appeals for them to study. But what date is today?  When do they intend to come up with a final decision?" she said.

The graduation rites is set on May 29. 

Fernandez said her group will monitor developments anew on Tuesday after the baccalaureate mass at 7:30 a.m. at the PSHS main campus.

"The graduation is on Wednesday.  What are they trying to do?  We are racing against time here.  What might happen is these students might graduate after all and it would be too late to reverse it," she said.

The students allegedly posted online private and unseemly photos of female students, some of whom are minors.

The discipline committee of the school recommended their exclusion from graduation, but the board reportedly decided to allow them to graduate. —LDF, GMA News