Prosecutor dismisses raps vs STC, parents

CEBU, Philippines - The St. Theresa’s College lost in their complaint against the parents, and the parents also lost their complaint against the school.

For lack of probable cause, the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor dismissed the criminal complaints filed by the parents of the minors who were barred from attending their graduation rites last March against the STC High School Department.

Meanwhile, the panel of prosecutors dismissed the child abuse filed by the STC against the parents of the minors also for lack of probable cause.

The panel of prosecutors led by Prosecutor Rogelio del Prado Jr. dismissed the complaint for grave oral defamation in relation to Republic Act 7610 or child abuse and violation of RA 9995 or Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act.

“After going over the evidence on record, the undersigned panel finds that complainants failed to point out in their affidavit-compliant the particular respondents who uttered the alleged defamatory remarks or statements complained of,” the joint resolution reads.

The panel added that the charge for a violation of RA 9995 failed after there was no evidence presented by the complainant that the photographs subject of the case was among those photographs which RA 9995 prohibits from copying or reproducing.

Under RA 9995 person is prohibited to take photos or video coverage of a person or group of persons performing sexual act or to capture an image of the private area of a person who is naked or in undergarment without consent.

The minor said she and other four students were qualified to graduate but were unjustly prohibited from attending their graduation rites due to a sanction for failure to obey school regulations.

She added that the court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) directing the school to let them attend the commencement exercises but the school defied the order.

The same panel of prosecutors dismissed the child abuse filed by the STC against the parents of the minors for lack of probable cause.

The STC filed a complaint after the parents failed to supervise their children that constitute child abuse.

“The respondents, parents of the students allegedly caused and encouraged their minor children to lead an immoral and dissolute life by committing neglect and encouragement of acts detrimental to the development of their children under Section 10(a) of RA 7610,” the complaint reads.

The school officials said the acts of the minors -drinking hard liquor in public places, displaying private parts of their bodies and roaming around showing undergarments shows lack of parental control and supervision that leads their children to lead “immoral and dissolute lives.”

In their joint-resolution, the panel of prosecutors said the allegation of the school was not clear.

“There is no clear showing that the children involved herein were coerced induced, enticed and forced to commit those actuations by their parents.

There is no proof or evidence to convince the panel that the respondents parents directly involved themselves in allowing their children to commit such juvenile and unguided acts nor is there showing that they indeed encourage the same,” the resolution reads.

The minors were not allowed to attend their graduation rites due to a school violation for posting “obscene” photos in their Facebook accounts.  (FREEMAN)