Parents hold prayer vigil, want principal’s ouster

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    SAN JOSE CITY – Parents and teachers are holding a prayer vigil here seeking for the immediate relief of their elementary school principal whom they accused of immorality, among other alleged abuses.

    Officials and members of the Parents-Teachers-Community-Association (PTCA) and concerned teachers of Malasin Elementary School held the second day of their vigil to press the ouster of MES principal Manolo Lopez. They have filed separate complaints against Lopez before Dr. Alberto P. Saludez, chief of the Department of Education-San Jose City here.

    Copies of the two complaints were furnished to offices of 2nd District Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago and Mayor Marivic Belena.

    Violago said Lopez needs to be investigated since the allegations against him started to build up two years ago.

    In their complaints, the groups accused Lopez of immorality, grave misconduct, meddling in the internal affairs and illegal disbursement of PTCA funds.

    Attached to the complaints were separate sworn and notarized affidavits executed by a former pre-elementary teacher and a female parent. Lopez allegedly forced the teacher to resign while the parent attested to the alleged immorality committed by Lopez at the school.

    The groups were led by Santiago Vingua Jr., the group spokesman; Santiago Apar, PTA president; Amorsolo Tejano, past PTCA president and Leonardo del Rosario, homeroom PTA president.

    Vinagua said they will continue with their vigil until the DepEd regional office has acted on their complaints.

    Lopez who has been assigned here since 2005, was also accused of allegedly violating DepEd’s “no collection policy” when he resorted to the withholding of school report cards and recognition certificates whenever students failed to pay their contributions.

    Other allegations leveled against Lopez were the alleged selling of books and writing notebooks to pre-elementary pupils, and the deployment of a pre-school teacher without any service contract from the DepEd or the local government unit concerned.

    The protesting parents set up tents and chairs in front of the school gates and held their vigil.

    Outside the gates, the protesters tied on long strings several sack-tailored streamers, bearing red-painted inscriptions addressed to Lopez which read: “You violated the Code of Ethics and You are not only a principal, you are also a treasurer.”

    Lopez reportedly arrived at the school premises around 8 a.m. yesterday and left after 20 minutes after taking video footages of the prayer-vigil.

    Punto tried but failed to get the side of Lopez.


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