The classmates of Grade 8 student in a high school in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City ganged up on her as seen in a video footage.
Ian Cruz reported in “24 Oras” on Friday that the video showed how her classmates surrounded her, laughed at her and even threatened her.
The situation worsened as one of her female classmates suddenly pulled her hair and dragged her on the floor.
A source who declined to be identified said the incident happened last Monday. Her classmates, it was learned physically harmed her more than once.
GMA Integrated News and Sangguniang Kabataan officials tried to reach out to the victim. But her parents refused to let their daughter be interviewed.
The source said there was a misunderstanding between the victim and the leader of the girl group.
However, the sibling of one of the students who harmed the victim alleged that her sister was the first to be bullied.
According to the principal’s report, the victim said that she was harmed during their 3 p.m. break time and during their dismissal at 6 p.m. She refused to share what happened to her with her parents or their class adviser out of fear.
The report has already reached the Department of Education’s Central Office.
“The School Administration acknowledges the serious allegations of bullying and is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident captured in the video. We ask the public to trust our established procedures for handling this situation,” said Bagong Silangan High School in a statement.
“We want to reassure our students and their families that we are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone. Bullying in any form is strictly prohibited, and we will take all necessary steps to address this matter. The safety and well-being of our students are our top priority.”
The DepEd, on the other hand, said that it is already looking into the case and has asked the school to hasten its own investigation.
The department added that it will provide support to the victim and other people involved. It also sought assistance from the Philippine National Police in investigating the incident. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News
