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LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) condemned on Friday (Aug. 12) the molestation of four teachers inside an elementary school in Ocampo town in Camarines Sur province.
“We denounce any acts of violence and injustice towards our teachers, who have been showing their dedication and effort to deliver equitable, resilient, inclusive, and quality education to our learners,” DepEd said in a statement.
Police earlier reported that an armed suspect entered the unnamed school on Monday (Aug. 8) noon and declared a hold-up and took the cellphones and cash of the victims.
The suspect then molested the teachers in an isolated area of the campus.
DepEd asked the authorities to conduct a “swift investigation and bring justice to the family of the victims.”
“We likewise call on our partner agencies in preparation for the upcoming school opening, especially the Philippine National Police, to protect the welfare of our teachers, learners, and parents inside and outside the premises of our schools,” it added.
DepEd said the agency would hire security personnel and prohibit the use of schools as isolation facilities, quarantine facilities, and long-term evacuation centers to make the schools safe for students and teachers.
The department added that it would provide financial assistance and psychosocial intervention to the victims.
Col. Bernardo Perez, chief of Camarines Sur police, has ordered all the police stations to coordinate with the school officials, local government units and barangay council to intensify the security measures in all school campuses.
Perez assured the public that the police would exert all efforts to arrest the suspect and give justice to the victims.
“The police are already on top of the situation and will [take] all possible actions to ensure the safety and common good of all,” he said in a statement.
Stolen items
Meanwhile, P80,000 worth of valuables and cash were stolen from Libmanan North Central School in Libmanan town on Thursday.
Reports said the unidentified suspects destroyed the steel padlocks of two separate offices of the school supervisor and the principal at around 2 a.m.
The robbers took three computer monitors, three computer central processing units, a smart television, and P300 cash.
The police conducted an ocular inspection and a follow-up investigation. INQ