UE expels students involved in viral ‘flag-mopping’ video

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the East (UE) on Monday issued a statement stating that it dismissed the high school students involved in the Philippine flag-defiling video that went viral online.

UE president and Chief Academic Officer Ester Albano Garcia on Facebook said the university's board of trustees on February 18 unanimously voted to kick out the high school students in the video. She, however, did not identify and disclose the number of students dismissed.

“The students involved were meted the sanction of dismissal in view of the gravity of their infraction, which is not only a direct affront to the University of the East community but to the entire country’s ideals and traditions as well,” the official statement read.

Garcia added that to address the regrettable mistake of its students, UE will “strengthen activities inculcating respect to the Philippine flag, the anthem and other national symbols, and shall implement measures to monitor the strict compliance and observance of the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines by our students and members of our academic and non-academic personnel.

UE earlier released a statement deploring the disrespectful deed of its student shown in a 22-second video, uploaded on February 9. The video drew flak from netizens as a student in one of the UE classrooms in its high school department mopped the floor using the Philippine flag.

UE’s disciplinary committee composed of faculty members, coordinators and legal counsels discussed the sanction for the students on February 11.

On the other hand, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines also coordinated with school officials regarding the matter while the Department of Education instructed its agency’s regional office to investigate the incident early February.

READ: UE tackles viral ‘flag-mopping’ video | DepEd probes ‘flag-mopping’ video