Pisay board to reconsider ruling on harassment case

MANILA, Philippines — The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) will reconsider its decision to allow six students to graduate, contrary to the recommendation of the school administration. 

Outgoing Sen. Bam Aquino, who sits in the board as he is the chair of the Senate committee on science and technology, said he was informed by his representative of the matter and that it is already up for reconsideration.

“We will vote in favor of the recommendation of the discipline committee and management committee, which is not to allow the identified students to graduate based on the degree of their offenses and previous decisions in similar cases,” said Aquino. 

The board earlier drew criticism for allowing students facing harassment and cybercrime complaints to graduate despite findings of the investigation conducted by the school administration.

Students and other members of the PSHS community protested the BOT decision during a demonstration held at the school’s main campus in Quezon City on Thursday.

Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, whose daughter belongs to this year’s graduating batch, also criticized the decision to allow the students to graduate despite their offenses.

Badoy said the issue involved male students who uploaded online and shared among themselves lewd images of former girlfriends who are also Pisay students.

A statement from the PSHS Parent-Teacher Council said the matter involves six graduating students and not 12 as stated by Badoy.

It noted that the school administration was not remiss in handling the case, saying that the disciplinary office and management committee have recommended not to include the students from the list of those who will graduate this year following an investigation of the incident.

However, the PSHS BOT – chaired by Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña – supposedly downgraded the offenses and allowed the students to graduate.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, who sits as vice chair of the board, said she has asked her representative who attended the meeting to submit a report. 

She said she would let De La Peña to address the matter as the PSHS is attached with the Department of Science and Technology and not the Department of Education.