Cebu HS snubs court order, bans 5 ‘bikini students’ from graduation rites

Openly defying a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the regional trial court, St. Theresa’s College in Cebu City shut its gates to prevent five graduating students and their parents from attending the high school graduation ceremony because the girls posted on Facebook photos of themselves in bikinis.   In a report by GMA News program 24 Oras, the school’s security guards were caught on camera blocking the student – given the pseudonym “Audrey” because she is a minor – and her parents from entry at the school’s gates despite them having secured a TRO from Judge Wilfredo Navarro of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC).   Enrique Lacerna, the lawyer for one of the students, said he was informed by his client they were barred from entering the venue of the graduation rites.   "Sinabi ng kliyente ko, they were barred (from) entering the premises lalo na to join the commencement exercises (My client said they were barred from entering the premises, much less join the graduation rites)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio Friday afternoon.   The school earlier banned the students from joining the graduation rites, supposedly over the posting of inappropriate photos on Facebook.   Lacerna hinted he is considering asking the court to cite the school in contempt for defying the order.   On Thursday, Judge Wilfredo Navarro issued a temporary restraining order to stop the school from enforcing its sanction, effectively allowing the two to attend their graduation rites.   But Lacerna cited information reaching him that the school filed a motion for reconsideration Friday morning.   He claimed he was not furnished a copy of the supposed motion.   "Walang schedule, ang alam ko ang judge sa Lapu-Lapu (There was no hearing scheduled for that motion for reconsideration. And as far as I know, the judge was supposed to be in Lapu-Lapu City today)," he said.   For now, he said there is nothing to be done to allow the girls to attend their graduation rites.   But he voiced disappointment with the school, which he said claimed last Thursday it will respect the decision of the court. St. Theresa's College is a private Catholic school authorized to instill discipline among students under Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 88 series of 2010—also known as the Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools in Basic Education.   But Section 155 of the same DepEd order guarantees every student the right to be formally apprised of any complaint against her, to be heard by herself and her counsel, to present evidence for her defense, and to appeal the decision on her case to proper authorities. Although Section 131 of the Revised Manual gives the administration of each private school the responsibility to maintain good discipline among students, such disciplinary authority is limited to students’ behavior inside the school campus or outside school premises but only as regards authorized school activities that the students are engaged in. — MRT/ELR, GMA News