UE starts ‘serious’ probe vs student who defiled PH flag in video

SCREENGRAB FROM FILIPINO NETIZEN’S FACEBOOK PAGE

The University of the East (UE) has already commenced its investigation against the student who was caught on video playing with the Philippine flag and using it like a mop in one of the classrooms in its high school department.

UE President and Chief Academic Officer Ester Garcia said that the university has already convened a disciplinary committee to assess the appropriate sanctions which will be meted out to the student and his companions who were involved in recording and uploading the now-viral 22-second video.

Garcia said that the university condemned in “the strongest possible terms” the said act.

“Please be informed that the UE community deplores in the strongest possible terms the said utterly disrespectful deed which was done inside one of our classrooms in the high school department,” Garcia said in a statement read by UE public relations officer Bert Sulat Jr. over radio dzBB on Thursday.

The UE president said that the act was committed last Tuesday, Feb. 9 while the students were in between classes and no teacher was present in the classroom.

“The University’s high school department convened its disciplinary committee composed of faculty members and coordinators with the assistance of our legal counsel and has met with the students involved and their respective parents or guardians to discuss and investigate what happened and to assess the appropriate sanctions, all with due process and with UE’s student code in mind,” she said.

READ: Student uses Philippine flag to mop floor, draws netizens’ ire

Moving forward, Garcia said that the act was an isolated case and does not reflect the “education our institution imparts and the values we in the UE community uphold.”

The university has since conducted activities to raise awareness of its students regarding the Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

“We in the university share in the frustration of those who were offended by the video recording and [continue] to appeal to the public’s calm and patience. We maintain that this incident is far removed from the education our institution imparts and the values we in the UE community uphold,” Garcia said.

Under RA 8491, it is prohibited to mutilate, deface, defile or trample on the flag or commit “any act or omission casting dishonor or ridicule upon it.” Any violation of the said law is punishable with a fine ranging P5,000 to P20,000 and a prison term not exceeding one year.

READ: Video of student desecrating PH flag prompts DepEd probe

In an interview with the INQUIRER, the Department of Education said that they would look into the matter and recommended that the student be subjected to disciplinary action. CDG