DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 September) – The Department of Education (DepEd) – Davao de Oro Division vowed to investigate the reason behind a teacher’s death, which was allegedly caused by stress after she was purportedly insulted by the principal.
Local reports here said the principal, Alvin Escobar, insulted Marjorie Espinosa Llanto-Bolde, a teacher from Tibagon Elementary School in Pantukan North District, for apparently “failing to discipline her students,” as one of her students sustained head wounds while she was “checking test papers.”
“DepEd-Davao de Oro assures the public that it will thoroughly conduct an investigation on the cause of her death,” DepEd-Davao de Oro said in a statement on Sunday evening.
The statement was released following a viral post online claiming that Llanto-Bolde died from stress after “gidibdib” (she internalized) the “insults” of Escobar, who was named by local radio station dxDc RMN here.
The viral post was posted by Llanto-Bolde’s relative, Hannah Llanto, on Saturday.
One of the screenshots bared that Llanto-Bolde questioned herself being a teacher, “as if she did not teach and discipline her students well.”
“Nag answer sila sa math, ako na busy ko ug check sa mga nahuman ug answer sa math..Lalit lang na ning hilak ug nagdugo ang ulo..Ako gipangutanan. Ning sayaw daw siyag pinahigda unya naigo iyang ulo sa bangko [sic] (They were answering the math test and I was busy checking the papers of those who had finished. Suddenly, somebody cried out that someone was bleeding. I asked them what happened. A student was dancing upside down and the head was hit by the chair),” Llanto-Bolde explained in the message posted by her relative.
In a radio interview Monday morning, DepEd-Region 11 spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said they will conduct a motu proprio (on one’s own initiative) investigation against Escobar.
“Under our rules, the disciplinary authority for teachers, principal, and other teaching personnel is the regional director,” Atillo said.
Escobar reportedly did not report for duty on Monday, September 23.
In its statement, DepEd-Davao de Oro offered its condolences to the family of the teacher, who passed away on September 19.
It encouraged everyone to pray for the repose of her soul.
“We also pray for the strength of the family during this most trying time of their life,” the division said. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
