Mom says teachers hurt her kids

CEBU, Philippines - A mother of two pupils aged eight and 10 has accused two teachers of hitting her children in separate incidents inside their respective classrooms at the Simeon Ayuda Elementary School in Barangay San Vicente, Liloan, Cebu.

The mother, 32, alleged that her eight-year-old son was reportedly hit by   his Makabayan teacher Ann last Tuesday while her 10-year-old son was also hit by a certain teacher Blessilda on November 28.

The younger boy is a third grader while the older boy is in the fifth grade.

The mother, who is six months pregnant, told The FREEMAN, that her eight-year-old son informed her that he was hit by teacher Ann as punishment for his failure to copy the writings on the board.

"Ingon ang bata gidapog kuno siya sa maestra kay wala siya magsuwat…(The child said the teacher punched him because he did not take down notes).   Mura'g (Maybe as) punishment pero wa ko kita ug bun-og niya (although I did not see any marks on him," the mother said in a phone interview.

"Kini akong anak maam di ni kiat pero tabian lang (My child is talkative but is not hyperactive)," she added.

The teacher, though, denied hitting the boy.

"Dili na unang higayon nga nag-ingon ana na siya pero wala ko ingon nga nagdumot (This is not the first time that they accuse me of that; but I don't hold grudges)," the teacher said in an interview over CCTN's Sayri 47.

Last week, the other son also alleged that her teacher hit him the right face.

 "Dunay puwa sa aping pero di pud ko kaingon nga gisagpa (There was a red mark on his cheek but I could not say that he was really slapped)," the mother said, although her son told her teacher Blessilda did hit him.

 Blessilda is the boy's Science teacher who allegedly got irked when the boy said "goodbye Miss Boang (crazy)" as the teacher was about to leave the class.

"Kini hinuon ako nga anak badlungon gyud ni; posible naglagot ang maestra (This child is really problematic; it is possible the teacher just got mad," the mother said.

She said she wants the two teachers reprimanded for the ill treatment her children suffered.

"Di man ingon nga mangita kog gubot pero di lang unta manapat (It is not as if I am looking for fight; but they should not have hurt the children)," she said.

In a separate interview, school principal Veronica Cabahug told CCTN  that there are a lot of ways to reprimand a pupil for misbehaving corporal punishment is discouraged.

Department of Education (DepEd)-7 Director Carmelita Dulangon, on the other hand, the mother should file a formal complaint for the school's superintendent to check on the circumstances.

"Muagi gyud na og (It must go through) due process and we have to know nganong naingon ana. Di nato na dapat (why it happened. We do not)i-tolerate kung dunay (if there is) basis," Dulangon said. (FREEMAN)