School supports students over sex abuse claims

THE Philippine High School of the Arts (PHSA) has assured its students that the teaching and non-teaching staff of the government-run institution will give support and hear their concerns for their safety and well-being after alleged sexual abuse reports surfaced on Vice News.

In a statement dated July 5, the management of PHSA recognized the statements of some alumni talking about abuses they experienced while they were students at the Makiling campus in Laguna and sympathized with them.

It said former students are welcome to file their complaints with the school’s designated committee that processes such matters.

“The PHSA, just like any other institution, is not perfect. But please be assured that our school personnel are working hand in hand toward providing our students a safe learning environment, whether online or in Makiling,” the school’s management added.

It pointed out that it trusts the delivery of quality education to its learners amid the pandemic in the safety and comfort of their own homes and guaranteed their safety on campus once they return for in-person or blended learning modality by August or September.

The PHSA is an attached agency of the Department of Education.

The Education department has yet to release an official statement to address the sexual abuse allegations published on Vice News.

The school has produced numerous world-class artists, educators and cultural leaders in the past 45 years.

The Child Rights Network (CRN) has also expressed concern over the sexual abuse allegations at the PHSA and urged the government to take comprehensive and decisive action to address the issue.

“[We] are beyond appalled at the content of the Vice report, especially with the apparent lack of accountability against perpetrators of these crimes against children. The reported crimes against children are crimes of power, with power relations between teachers and house parents in the boarding school tilted against their victims. As these are crimes of power, in most reported cases, victims are robbed of immediate recourse, and carry the unreported trauma way into adulthood,” the CRN said.

It urged authorities to follow pertinent laws and regulations that protect children and stop the practice of coddling reported abusers and sexual offenders.

“We call on DepEd, CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) and the whole government to expedite the investigations, execute comprehensive actions and ensure that not one more student would be subjected to sexual abuse and harassment. We also call on the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine National Police to initiate a thorough investigation on the matter, and ensure that our educational institutions are safe spaces, especially for children,” the CRN said.