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Ban sexual offenders in teaching profession: Hontiveros
Hontiveros said there is currently no policy that bars someone, who resigned or was dismissed due to sexual abuse from applying to another educational institution. (File Photo: Albert Calvelo / Senate PRIB via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)
MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said habitual sex offenders must not be allowed to teach or be employed in any school in the country saying a number of them continue as sex offenders victimizing innocent students.
Hontiveros noted that a teacher-predator from St. Theresa’s College Quezon City (STCQC) who had resigned in 2016 was found to have been teaching at Angeles University Foundation (AUF) in the school year 2019-2020.
According to a report, as of February last year, the teacher was employed in yet another school. The victim-survivors in both STCQC and AUF confirmed grooming and sexual advances from the same teacher.
Hontiveros said that schools should show their students that abusers will be made accountable. This also tells young people that they will be heard, not dismissed or silenced.
She said that STQC in fact succeeded in its campaign in resolving sexual harassment cases as the abuser’s employment was terminated after a month.
“Nakakabahala na yung mga tinanggal o nag-resign na guro dahil sa pang-aabuso at harassment sa isang school, ay pwede lang magturo ulit sa ibang paaralan. Wala tayong nalutas na problema kung hinahayaan nating palipat-lipat lang ang mga abuser (It is alarming that a teacher who was terminated or resigned because of sexual abuses and harassment are allowed to teach in other schools. If we allow this, we cannot solve the problem). Sexual predators should never be allowed to be around children,” Hontiveros said.
The senator’s remarks came after the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, which revealed that a teacher and an employee of the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) in Los Baños City, Laguna province remained employed despite the accusations against them.
Hontiveros said there is currently no policy that bars someone, who resigned or was dismissed due to sexual abuse from applying to another educational institution.
The senator added that the Philippine government should look into Australia’s “Working with Children Check,” an additional layer of screening for adults whose work involves being in the regular company of children.
“Mismong mga estudyante na ang gumagawa ng paraan para protektahan ang mga kapwa nila mag-aaral (Students are now the ones making move to protect their fellow students). Our children have been calling on all of us to do better. Hindi sila maayos na pinakinggan kaya’t kinakailangan pang ipa-trend sa social media ang hashtag na #DoBetter (They were being ignored, that’s why they resolve to publish their complaints in social media with hashtag #DoBetter). Let’s listen to them this time,” Hontiveros said.
Precy Bueno-Macol
September 7, 2022 at 9:53 PM
This is would be a great bill if it would be implemented! As a parent myself I do trust the school to be the secondary home for my children and if the school itself would be a danger due to child predators because there’s no law that prevents them to no longer teach after their offense is just a tragedy waiting to happen. Traumas brought by these sexual and/or child predators can still reflect in the victims lives even after years and those traumas may result to psychological problems that would certainly affect their welfare in the present and in the future as well and with Senator Risa Hontiveros suggestion this would lessen the risk of exposing them to these people that may do harm in the place where they should be thriving! If they cannot pass a bill to prevent them to teach again at least pass a bill wherein offenders should do rehab first or should be under surveillance while teaching for the rest of their lives. A red flag should not be disregard if lives of young ones are the on the line.
Vilma L.
September 8, 2022 at 9:23 AM
Not to mention that even now, sexual violence is increasing which leads up to school. This defines that what ever law you will implied if the person is addictive to its sexual arousement then it shall detained and never shall be roaming around. I have a daughters and I will protect them into this situations. I hope that this will really implied because sexual harassment inside the school make it more worst specially schools are for learning education not this one.
Jam Aguirre
September 8, 2022 at 10:26 AM
Ito ay magiging isang mahusay na panukalang batas kung ito ay ipinatupad! Bilang isang magulang mismo, nagtitiwala ako sa paaralan na maging pangalawang tahanan para sa aking mga anak, at kung ang paaralan mismo ay isang panganib sa mga mandaragit ng bata, dahil walang batas na pumipigil sa kanila na hindi na magturo pagkatapos ng kanilang pagkakasala, ito ay isang trahedya lamang naghihintay na mangyari. Ang mga trauma na dala ng mga sekswal at/o batang mandaragit na ito ay maaari pa ring makita sa buhay ng mga biktima kahit na matapos ang mga taon, at ang mga trauma na iyon ay maaaring magresulta sa mga sikolohikal na problema na tiyak na makakaapekto sa kanilang kapakanan sa kasalukuyan at sa hinaharap, at sa Ang mungkahi ni Senator Risa Hontiveros, mababawasan nito ang panganib na ilantad sila sa mga taong ito na maaaring makapinsala sa lugar kung saan sila dapat ay umunlad! Kung hindi nila maipasa ang isang panukalang batas upang pigilan silang magturo muli, ipasa man lang ang isang panukalang batas kung saan ang mga nagkasala ay dapat mag-rehab muna o dapat ay nasa ilalim ng surveillance habang nagtuturo sa natitirang bahagi ng kanilang buhay. Ang pulang bandila ay hindi dapat balewalain kung ang buhay ng mga kabataan ay nasa linya.
Zach Nathaniel Cesar Assuncion
September 8, 2022 at 10:29 AM
Hindi pa banggitin na kahit ngayon, dumarami ang sekswal na karahasan, na humahantong sa paaralan. Nangangahulugan ito na anuman ang batas, kung ang isang tao ay nalulong sa sexual arousal, ito ay makukulong at hindi na makakalaya. Mayroon akong anak na babae at poprotektahan ko siya sa sitwasyong ito. Umaasa ako na ito ay talagang ipahiwatig dahil ang sekswal na panliligalig sa loob ng paaralan ay nagpapalala, lalo na dahil ang mga paaralan ay para sa pag-aaral ng edukasyon, hindi ito.
Rene Rose Oriol
September 9, 2022 at 1:17 AM
Maganda po itong panukalang batas na ito. Great Job senator Hontiveros!Nararapat na parusahan ang mga guro na napatunayang nanamtala sa kanyang mga istudyante.sa ganitong paraan ay makakamit na ng biktima ang Justice. Dapat tanggalin agad ang Licensia at alisan ng karapatang makapagtrabaho sa public or private school man.kung puede nga lang ibalik ang death sentence at yun ang maging kaparusahan para ndi na sila makagawa ng masama sa kapwa tao. Lalo na sa mga batang walang kalaban laban.