Tondo teacher accused of beating up students

MANILA, Philippines—A Tondo elementary school teacher is now in hot water after outraged parents accused her of physically abusing their children.

On Wednesday, no less than Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim called for an investigation on Almario Elementary school teacher Leslie Aydalla, after the students of the Grade 2 section she was handling complained she had been maltreating them inside the classroom.

The complaints of the 23 students ranged from Aydalla pulling the hair of the children; slapping them using her shoes and blackboard eraser; hitting their mouths with a ruler; striking their palms with a broomstick; and even throwing empty water bottles at them.

Manila Social Welfare and Development chief Jay de la Fuente, who referred the complaints to Lim, said the students alleged that sometimes, Aydalla would even refuse to allow them to go to the bathroom. At one point, a student ended up wetting himself in the classroom due to the restriction.

The students also reported that Aydalla threatened to fail them should they tell their parents of the abuses.

For the meantime, Aydalla has been reassigned to other sections, to give way to the investigation and to make the students feel comfortable about staying in school,  Manila city school superintendent Ponciano Menguito told the Inquirer.

He said they have forwarded the complaint to the National Capital Region office of the Department of Education, and have been waiting for them to order a preliminary investigation on Aydalla.