Victims of bag-burning in Bicol undergo stress debriefing —DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) continues to aid the students who bore the brunt of Bicol Central Academy adminstrator James Jaucian's ire as he ordered their their bags and other belongings torched, as seen on a cellphone video.

A report by Katrina Son in Balitanghali on Friday said that the DepEd has started stress debriefing the students because there might be emotional or psychological effects caused by the incident.

"Nagkaroon na po ng debriefing para sa ilan sa mga batang ito dahil kung tutuusin hindi lamang naman mga bag ang nasunog duon sa insidenteng iyon kundi maaaring may mga emotional o psychological effects yung kanilang naranasan," said  Education Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Josephine G. Maribojoc.

"So we are trying to make sure that these children are taken care of," she added.

Several students from Bicol Central Academy in Libmanan, Camarines Sur were made to watch as their bags were torched for supposedly violating a "no bag" policy for a certain event.

Photos provided by the video uploader showed that cellphones and laptops were among the destroyed items.

Jaucian has since apologized over the incident.

The school's board of trustees has slapped him with a 90-day suspension. —Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News