Catholic school defies court order, bars students from grad rites over Facebook bikini pics

MANILA, Philippines - Though the court sided with the female teenage students in Cebu City who posted on Facebook pictures of themselves in bikinis, they were still not allowed by their school to attend Friday's graduation rites.

Despite the issuance of a temporary restraining order by Cebu Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Navarro, Saint Theresa's College still barred the students from entering the school grounds during the commencement ceremony, according to a news report. Nonetheless, the students will still be given their diplomas.

The Catholic school filed a motion for the court to reconsider its decision. The court was supposed to hear the motion of the school on Friday at 10 a.m. but the judge was unavailable.

Earlier, Navarro ordered the school to allow the students to attend their graduation ceremony, otherwise the school's action would be "un-Christian" and possibly illegal.

He also said that minors were supposed to be protected from every form of child abuse, including verbal abuse.

In their complaint, the students alleged that Sister Celeste Ma. Purisima Pe, the school principal, called them “sluts”, “addicts”, “drunkards” and “cheap.”

Pe's camp denied the allegation. The principal said the students were given due process when they were asked last February to explain their side of the issue.

School officials also met with the students' parents, showed them the photos of their children, and were told of the decisions and actions of the school's disciplinary committee.

The school, run by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, prohibits students from uploading on the Internet their photos showing "ample body exposure." The prohibition is contained in the school's handbook, which is customarily given to students.

A report from radio dzMM on Friday said that while the students' photos were not public and were only shared to their Facebook friends, their classmates or their parents might have alerted school officials about the pictures.

The issue drew mixed reactions from InterAksyon.com readers. Some defended the school's decision while others took the cudgels for the students.

Yal Puzla from USC-TC Cebu City said that "from the start," the students "knew the rules of the school" and thus should have not studied there if they had no intention to follow the school's policy.

"Ambot naman lang, wala na lang unta sa eskwela sa St. Theresa para libre mo post sa networking site;-)," said Puzla.

Via Chan said: "As A theresian, WE ARE OBLIGED TO FOLLOW the school rules in and out the vicinity. What's the use of the handbook if you just disregard what's written on it?"

"And please you don't know half of the story, those aren't the pictures, there are more nasty and more indecent ones. so please don't judge the school," added Chan.

Khamil Andan Xxvii of the World Citi Colleges said: "oh well lets just say social network now adays are also used for prostitution. couldn't blame this people, sobrang hirap ng buhay kaya may mga ganto, and yes ang mga kabataan ngayun mas in sakanila ang magpost ng sexy picture without knowing na nababastos cla they're all after compliments"

Freelance artist Perry Crsit Lequigan said: "the FACT na umabot sya sa graduation, it means alam na alam niya ang RULES and REGULATIONS sa school, sinuway niya ang batas ng eskwelahan dapat may kaparusahan para di pamaresan.... but of course may DUE PROCESS!"

Aleth Velasquez of St. Paul University Manila said: "The nuns has no right to demean those girls, they may have misbehaved, but they are entitled to march in graduation, this is unfair, legally the nuns are guilty for the violation of the children's right via verbal abuse..being catholic is not on how we dress up, being catholic is how we treat other people with respect."

Estefan Ezequias Onesimo Benecio said: "TEACH, NOT PUNISH.. Students should have been given thorough counseling instead of leaving them with heavy emotional burden.. This is what I expect from a Religious school, not name-calling and prejudices."

Terence Logramonte Valdehueza of Xavier-Ateneo de Cagayan said: "Calling and judging someone 'sluts', 'addicts', 'drunkards' and 'cheap' is not part of due process. If I were one of the two teens, I will sue the principal for slander and seek for moral damages."

Nancy Arceo Chan of the University of the Philippines-Diliman said: "It's time the school show all the pictures posted and you will agree that these kids need to be penalized....the truth must come out....no lesson learned here....what a fiasco!"

source: interaksyon.com

Student who posted bikini photos on Facebook allowed to attend graduation rites

The high school student who got in hot water for posting controversial photos of her on her Facebook page has found relief from a Cebu City court, which cleared the way for her to attend her graduation rites Friday.



The Cebu court issued a temporary restraining order against St. Theresa's College's imposition of sanctions that would have barred the girl from attending her special day, radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported.

The identity of the student was withheld as she is a minor.

Earlier, the school barred the girl from attending her graduation ceremony supposedly due to her Facebook photos showing her in a bikini and holding a lighted cigarette, which supposedly violated the school's teachings.

With the TRO, Judge Wilfredo Navarro ordered officials of St. Theresa's College to treat the girl "with kindness and civility befitting true graduates."

The dzBB report quoted the school's lawyer as saying the officials will follow the court order, and made sure that there will be no harassment of the girl on Friday.

The case stemmed from the lawsuit filed by the student's mother against the school for allegedly barring her daughter from attending the graduation rites. — KBK, GMA News

article source: gmanetwork.com