High school principal jailed amid sex charges

The Department of Education on Friday said it is looking into the charges against a public school principal who was arrested for alleged acts of lasciviousness on four junior high-school students.

The office of the schools division superintendent in Metro Manila, in a statement, identified Bonifacio Caculitan Jr. as the school head of Pugad Lawin High School accused of molesting Grade 10 students.

Carleen Sedilla, the schools division superintendent, said Caculitan was arrested on the morning of Sept. 29 and is jailed at a Quezon City police station for lascivious conduct, a violation under Section 5(b) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

“On the same day, the schools division office has also submitted the intake sheet and requested an authority to investigate for the administrative aspect of the case,” she said.

Caculitan remains in detention while waiting for his bail to be processed, Sedilla said.

The case had also been reported to the city social welfare office for the conduct of psychosocial assistance to the students, she said. Counseling sessions would also be provided to the parents and other students.

From an Inquirer report on Aug. 6, 2012, Caculitan was awarded by the Metrobank Foundation as one of its “Most Outstanding Teachers.” At the time, he was affiliated with Ernesto Rondon High School, formerly Project 6 High School. INQ