Undersecretary Franklin C. Suñga of the Department of Education has directed its legal department to institute appropriate administrative action on cases of sex abuses in Camarines Sur public schools particularly in Calabanga and in Camarines Sur.
Undersecretary Suñga has endorsed for action to Atty. Macur D. Marohombsar, officer-in-charge of the office of Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, a letter of the PENINSULA MONITOR editor regarding the need for DepEd authorities to act promptly and decisively on the cases of sex abuses to restore public trust in the public school system.
Cited were the cases of Rey Cadagi of Bigaas Elementary School in Calabanga who is facing criminal charges but DepEd authorities in the province simply ignored the scandal and initiated no corresponding administrative action.
In Caramoan, Gener Versoza, a married teacher of the Guijalo High School is publicly known to have impregnated Catherine Huit while still a student and a minor. She graduated from the school this year reportedly already pregnant.
In a letter to Schools Supt. Emma I. Cornejo dated September 11, 2007, PENINSULA MONITOR asked what DepEd in Camarines Sur has done regarding the case but until presstime no response has been received.
Two teachers at Guijalo High School actually simultaneously had sexual relationships with students but the other one was a widower and subsequently married the student.
No criminal case had so far been filed against Versoza because he reportedly entered into a private agreement with the impoverished family of Catherine Huit to just give a monthly allowance of P1,500.00, witnessed by a town official. The town official who requested not to be named for the meantime showed to the PENINSULA MONITOR a copy of the agreement signed by Versoza and the mother of Catherine Huit.
The town official said he had warned Versoza that agreement would not at all prevent the filing of criminal and administrative cases against him.
Notwithstanding the scandal created, DepEd authorities in Camarines Sur have just the same not instituted any administrative action against the erring teachers.
Lack of decisive action on the part of DepEd authorities to discipline errant teachers would only serve to encourage more sexual abuses in schools, PENINSULA MONITOR said in a letter to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.
