2 graduates want STC to produce ‘immoral’ photos

Give us the photos. This is the clamor of two of five high school graduates who were barred from  joining their March 30 graduation ceremony at St. Theresa’s College as punishment for posting “immoral” photos on Facebook.

In a pleading submitted to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, two teenage girls whose families sued the school said they wanted to secure the photos which STC officials had described as “lewd”, “obscene” and “immoral.”

“Once the case is elevated to the court, we shall seek the issuance of a writ of habeas data so that all photos, especially, those peddled as immoral, indecent, obscene, or lewd will be produced,” said their lawyer.

One of the girls and their mother said the writ or order “will answer how far and extensive was the invasion of privacy” committed by the school in procuring the photos.

Out of five girls barred from the graduation rites, four went to court.   In the following weeks, two withdrew their lawsuits after reaching an amicable settlement with STC officials.

Two complainants are left.

In their complaint, the girls said STC acquired the photos in violation of the law. They also said the “intrusion into their privacy” continued when the photos found their way to the Internet.

“The intrusion is continuing based on screen grabs and screen shots. They reproduced and spread the photos. They deliberately made copies and worse used them to mercilessly call us names and punish us,” the complainants said.

They earlier filed a criminal complaint against STC for unjust vexation, grave oral defamation in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law and  violation of Republic Act 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

The complainants said STC still had many photos of them and of the other three girls who were unable to attend the graduation rites.

“It should have dawned on all of you accused that you have inflicted immeasurable pain and suffering on all of us borne by your wayward self-righteousness, your bold invasion into our privacy…,” they said in their pleading.

The complainants said they have no idea what photos are in possession of STC until now.

“(But) the polluted mind of the accused (STC) after seeing photographs, formed the conclusion that I was immoral,” said one of the girls.

In a separate pleading, the private Catholic school explained how they obtained the photos.

STC said computer teacher Mylene Escudero and STC  discipline-in-charge Kristine Rose-Tigol showed to the assistant principal some  photos  posted on the Facebook page of one of the students.

When the Facebook page was viewed, it showed more  photos  of three other students. STC said one girl was shown drinking liquor in a bar and then displaying her “black brassiere” in the streets of Cebu.

Two other girls were shown drinking liquor in a bar in the Asiatown IT park, while one of them was smoking a cigarette. The  school pointed out that minors are prohibited from entering a bar under a Cebu City ordinance and the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

According to the school, the computer teacher downloaded the photos in  her flash drive. The photos  were shown to the girls who were then sanctioned for violating rules in the Daily Guide of the Students and the school’s handbook.

In their complaint, The girls said the prosecutor should  indict STC principal Sr. Purisima Pe, assistant principal Mussolini Yap, and discipline-in-charge Kristine Rose Tigol.

The school in turn filed a complaint against the girls’ parents for violating the special law on child abuse for “failing to supervise their minor children/ward.”

STC earlier prohibited five high school seniors from attending their graduation rites last March 30 as punishment for violating provisions of the Student Handbook, including drinking liquor in public, smoking and engaging in “obscene” conduct.

Four of the girls and their parents filed a civil suit in court that issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) directing STC to allow them to join the graduation rites.

The school ignored the TRO. Two of the girls withdrew their cases against STC after entering into a compromise agreement with the school, leaving only two complainants against STC.