Teacher must reply to mother’s claim – DepEd

BACOLOD City – The teacher in Barangay Granada accused of sleeping with his students must submit a response — made under oath — to the allegation, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional director said.

Gilbert Sadsad ordered DepEd – Division of Bacolod City superintendent Cynthia  Demavivas to organize a fact-finding committee that will look into allegations against Robert de Tomas of Fr. Gratian Murray Integrated School

Demavivas must require de Tomas to submit an answer, Sadsad stressed.

Granada resident Emelyn  Pagunsan earlier reported de Tomas to the local DepEd office for allegedly allowing her 16- year- old Grade 10 daughter to sleep in his house in Charito Heights Subdivision.

Pagunsan said her daughter did not go home from March 3 to 5 but instead stayed, along with two classmates, in the house of de Tomas, their Science and Citizenship Advancement Training teacher.

She asked Demavivas to investigate de Tomas. She asked the DepEd division head to penalize the teacher for “tainting” the image of their school.

The mother also claimed that her husband, Roderick, received a text message from the teacher asking them to settle the matter so it will no longer reach the DepEd.

Sadsad said the fact-finding investigation will allow him to hear the sides of both the parents and the teacher.

He said he cannot yet determine any prima facie evidence against de Tomas based solely on the incident report that Demavivas filed, which contained only the allegations against the high school teacher.

If there is any prima facie evidence supporting the allegations of Pagunsan,

de Tomas may be held administratively liable, said Sadsad.

In a radio interview earlier, he said the DepEd itself will file administrative charges against de Tomas provided there is evidence.

De Tomas may also be held liable for violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, said Senior Police Officer 4 Arlene  Torendon, officer- in- charge of the Bacolod City Police Office’s Women and Children Protection Desk. The student has been sleeping in her teacher’s house since January this year, and the teacher allowed this despite knowing that the parents were looking for her. He even gave the student a key to his house, Torendon said, citing investigation./