Friday, February 22, 2008 College head orders probe on sex complaint
THE teacher accused of acts of lasciviousness by eight female students will be given a chance to explain his side in an investigation the school will conduct on the matter.
This means that the teacher (name withheld pending filing of a complaint) will still continue teaching, said school director Pedrito Pontillas in a radio dyLA interview.
The eight students who are taking up hotel and restaurant services and tourism said the computer laboratory teacher allegedly lowered their grades so he could call them into his office and embrace or kiss them.
The students, age 16 to 19, went to the Argao Police Station last Wednesday to issue their affidavits.
They attend the Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST) in Argao.
The computer laboratory teacher resides in Argao and reportedly started working with CSCST last year as a temporary teacher.
Due process
Pontillas said they will give the teacher due process. He said he already confronted the accused, along with a 16-year-old female student who was allegedly sexually harassed.
But the campus director did not say what transpired in the meeting.
Last Monday, he admitted he only knew of one complainant. The following day, he learned there were already three of them.
Pontillas also formed a committee to investigate the case.
“The result of the investigation will be forwarded to the Office of the President. After that, it will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees,” he said.
He said the teacher is an “okay” instructor and that there were no previous complaints against him.
Complaint
Meanwhile, a source from CSCST, who refused to be named, said the students should also submit a written administrative complaint to Pontillas, who will then provide an incident report to CSCST President Bonifacio Villanueva, because the administration will immediately act on their complaint.
Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Director Enrique Grecia said there are two types of complaints to be filed – one is the criminal complaint before the prosecutors’ office while the other is the administrative complaint before the dean of the college.
“The dean or director or superintendent of the school will determine the validity of the complaint by investigating and gathering evidence. But due process must be upheld by asking for the side of the instructor involved,” he said.
Grecia said the penalty, if the accused is found guilty, could be suspension or dismissal.
Helping the dean evaluate the results of the investigation are the college president and the board of trustees.
Grecia said that Ched, which is the governing body of the public and private higher education institutions, oversees the board of trustees in CSCST.
“Hintayin ng Ched ang results ng investigation conducted by CSCST before any decisions will be made,” added Grecia in a phone interview. (NRC)
