Ateneo vows to act on sexual harassment cases

MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo de Manila University has vowed to improve its systems and work with stakeholders to address cases of sexual harassment and ensure a safer community for students and employees.

The university issued the statement yesterday, a day after students and other members of the university community mobilized to call for accountability on cases of sexual harassment allegedly involving some faculty members.

“The Ateneo de Manila University does not tolerate or condone sexual harassment by any member of its community,” read the statement issued by the university’s marketing and communications office.

The university said its committee on decorum and investigation has conducted investigations on instances where formal complaints were filed, noting that commensurate sanctions were imposed based on the evidence presented.

It did not disclose information on the cases, citing the Data Privacy Act.

Members of the university community held a protest on Tuesday after a case of sexual harassment surfaced on social media earlier this week.

Sanggunian, the university student council of the Ateneo, condemned the continuing cases of sexual harassment despite previous commitments made by the administration to address the matter.

“The systems put in place in institutions like the Ateneo have failed in creating a safe environment for its students, and neglected to uphold the very morals that it aims to instill in its constituents,” the council said.