DepEd Sara Duterte Orders Probe Into Alleged Abuses in PHSA

The Newly elected Philippines’ vice president and DepEd Secretary has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the alleged abuse of children in PHSA.

According to vice.com:

Sara Duterte, vice president of the Philippines, has ordered the NBI and her own office to launch probes into alleged sexual, verbal and emotional abuses endured by students in PHSA.

This came amid calls for justice and accountability from rights activists, lawmakers, and social media users, following an exclusive report by VICE World News detailing allegations of systemic abuse at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).

Senate and Congress Investigates

In the same manner, Senator Risa Hontiveros, who authored a law protecting against sexual abuse in public places including schools, directed a Senate committee to open yet another separate investigation. It could see abuse survivors, school administrators, and concerned officials gathered in televised hearings with senators within weeks. She cited allegations mentioned in the VICE World News report.

“If the accounts are accurate, the repeated failure of PHSA administration to address the violence and abuses is a blatant violation of the Safe Spaces Act and a flagrant disregard of the interests of PHSA students—interests they are duty-bound to protect and promote as persons reposed with special parental authority,” Hontiveros said in a statement, referring to the law she authored.

Philippine congress also passed resolution to investigate this case with specific clause where the name Alvin Miclat is mentioned.

DepEd Strong Position

The education department echoed PHSA’s position in its statement, saying survivors are “encouraged” to submit concerns and complaints to the school’s investigation committee “for proper and further actions.”

But the agency also vowed “strong leadership” from Duterte, who won the vice presidential race in May’s general election with a rare majority vote, and who was appointed by the new president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr as education secretary earlier this month.

“The Department would like to reiterate that the agency does not tolerate abuses in any form,” the statement read.

Child rights advocates have been urging Duterte to look into the alleged abuses at PHSA. The NGO coalition Child Rights Network on July 6 called on the government to enforce laws protecting children, and to “stop the practice of coddling reported abusers and sexual offenders, as this culture of violent treatment of PHSA students reveals how byzantine and feudal relations between mentors and mentees has become.”