Revocation of school permit mulled over schoolbag torching in CamSur

Students sift through what remained of their bags to recover clothes, cell phones or laptops after a Bicol
Central Academy school official ordered them burned.—EARL VINCENT CAÑAVERAL

IRIGA CITY—The Department of Education (DepEd) Bicol will review its policies to see if sanctions can be imposed on Bicol Central Academy’s school permit to operate and its other benefits from the government.

This is after Alexander James Jaucian, the school head of Bicol Central Academy in Libmanan town, ordered the torching of bags after students allegedly failed to comply with a “no-bag rule” during the school’s Tasumaki Day, when students acted as teachers while teachers were at a conference.

READ: Netizens rage over video of school exec torching students’ bags

DepEd Bicol Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said that they are deeply saddened with the matter and that investigations are now ongoing.

“There was a clear violation of our child protection policy,” Sadsad said in a statement sent to Inquirer.

“For child abuse, we will recommend to [a] certain group or agency like [the Department of Social Welfare and Development] for criminal charges, but this is still to be studied,” Sadsad said. /je