Vizcaya pupils accuse teacher of sex offenses

BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya – While the local Catholic Church hierarchy is still reeling from controversies involving one of its priests charged for unjust vexation, a teacher of a Church-run school here has been suspended due to mounting complaints of alleged sexual advances against some of his pupils.

Church sources who asked not to be named said the administration of the Saint Catherine School has slapped a one-month suspension against one of its elementary teachers who has been the subject of sexual harassment complaints by nine of his pupils before the police and social welfare offices here.

“Yes, he was already suspended (effective Feb. 18, pending the result of investigations by the (school administration). We have to extend him due process. Maybe the complaints were overreactions,” said a high-ranking school official.

Earlier, the young victims, all female grade five and grade six pupils from prominent families here, claimed their teacher, identified in their complaint as Angelito Alipio, made direct and indirect sexual advances against them as well as repeated remarks allegedly with sexual connotations inside their class.

Their complaints were filed last month before the children and women’s desk of this town’s police and municipal social welfare offices.

A parent of one of the complainants here claimed that the suspect was allegedly fond of stretching the straps of the bras of the victims.

He reportedly also embraced some of the female pupils and fondled their shoulders and arms, in the process making suggestive comments.

On the other hand, a number of school colleagues defended the suspect, saying their colleague’s actions were only part of his “fatherly concern” and parents of the complainants were perhaps misinformed and overreacting.

SPO4 Revelita Marzan, officer-in-charge of the children and women’s and desk of this town’s police, said the pupils, with their parents and the town’s social welfare and development officer, Miriam Pinaroc, came to them and had the victims’ complaints recorded in the blotter ahead of charges they would be filing against the suspect.

The suspect’s suspension by school authorities came while the parents of the victims, with the assistance of the police and social welfare personnel, were readying their formal joint complaint before the prosecutor’s office.

A ranking Church official said the suspension might lead to the suspect’s outright dismissal to spare the school, and the Church from further embarrassment and controversy.

“Such action cannot however absolve the school from any responsibility since the reported misdemeanor was committed inside its premises,” said a police officer here.

Already, the Catholic Church’s Bayombong diocese here has been beset with controversies as a result of the filing of unjust vexation case by a guest relations officer against one of its priests, Fr.
Elmer Saludares, before the provincial prosecutor’s office here last month.

Saludares, 38, parish priest of Saint Anne Parish of Barangay Malasin in neighboring Dupax del Norte town here, was accused of kissing and biting the lips of Genalyn Abella, 25, of the Estrella’s Videoke Bar in Barangay San Antonio here last year.

Bayombong Bishop Ramon Villena, in a statement came out about three weeks after the reported incident, expressed “sincere apology” to the faithful for an incident that may have “scandalized, hurt and offended” them. -- CL