ANGELES CITY – The Board of Trustees of Westfields International School (WIS) here and three others, including the principal, have been charged before the city prosecutor’s office in connection with the alleged falsification of a Grade 6 student’s grades to prevent her from graduating valedictorian last March.
Based on documents obtained by Punto over the weekend, Lilian David of City Center Subdivision here filed falsification of documents and violation of Republic Act No. 7610 against WIS Board of Trustees members Valerie A. Johnson, Sylvia N. Antonio, Eduardo Dale N. Antonio, Dennis N. Antonio, Juan and Francisco N. Antonio. The three others charged were WIS school Principal Violeta De Jesus, Vice Principal Myla Diano and head teacher Maricel Inocencio. RA 7610 is the law against abuse on women and children.
A certain Lyn of the De Jesus’ office, in a phone interview yesterday, said they “are aware of the charges against them and they have referred it to their lawyers.”
She added that De Jesus was having a seminar and could not give statements.
In a press briefing here on Friday, David vowed to pursue the case against WIS officials for sake of “her daughter and truth.” She was accompanied by lawyers Nino Baltazar Enriquez and Victor Bermudo,
David, in her complaint-affidavit, said “that based from her records and from computation made on March 17, 2009 by the Grade 6 teachers headed by Maricel Inocencio, head teacher of the Grade School Department, my daughter obtained 0.17 score higher in her final general average than the other candidate for Class Valedictorian.”
“However, upon an alleged re-computation in the absence of the Grade 6 teachers, the results returned differently and teacher Inocencio declared another student as the class valedictorian,” David’s affidavit added.
David disclosed that “doubting the veracity of the new results and in view of my daughter’s reputation as an outstanding student excelling in every subject, majority of the Grade 6 teachers prodded for a re-computation in their presence and suggested that the matter should be appropriately deliberated.”
She added: “however, teacher Inocencio refused to accede to their legitimate demands.”
FALSIFICATION
“On March 31, 2009, during the Parent-Teacher conference wherein I received my daughter’s Report Card showed that her Core Values rating were altered from ‘O’ for outstanding to ‘NG’ or needs guidance; her adviser Teacher Naida Serrano told me that it was the Board of Trustees decision to alter my daughter’s rating; this alteration allegedly was based from the sentiments she made during her Address of Thanks (delivered on graduation day),” said David’s affidavit.
She added that “as a consequence of the foregoing anomalies and unseen hand that transpired at the WIS, I commenced a complaint against the school, and now pending with the Department of Education.”
Atty. Enriquez showed to Punto the alleged altered grades of David’s daughter affecting her status as candidate for valedictorian.
David, in the same affidavit, said that “it was only recent that I discovered that the decision to alter arbitrary deprive the true ratings of my daughter were made by School Principal De Jesus and Vice-principal Daino.”
She added that “my daughter should be the school valedictorian” as supported by affidavits.
David filed RA 7610 against the WIS officials and teachers because “the whole incident made a big impact on my very young daughter; it affected her trust in the other.”
“My daughter is now less motivated due to the experience and “she worked hard to achieve her goal.”
David and her lawyers cited Sec. 10 of Article V1 (Other Acts of Abuse) of the RA 7610. It said that “any person who shall commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation or be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development including those covered by Article 59 of the Presidential Degree No. 603, as amended, but not covered by the Revised Penal Code, as amended, shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period.”
INSULT TO INJURY
David disclosed that the WIS asked her to sign a waiver stating that her daughter and her elder sister also studying at WIS should act “civil” to allow them to re-enroll for the school year 2009-10. She added that “it was like adding insult to injury.”
David said they have yet to find a new school for her two daughters.
“I will no longer enroll my daughters at WIS.
Former WIS Grade 6 teachers Jenlyn Luces and Ana Marie Castaneda attended the press conference and attested that David’s daughter had been found to have acquired the highest grade among the graduates but was deprived of the top honor at WIS.
Luces said they were allegedly harassed by WIS officials after complaining and demanding for re-computation.
Luces said that WIS top teachers had told them “that those who are involved (in the David case) could go out gracefully.”
She added that t least eight WIS Grade 6 teachers had resigned due to the alleged alteration of David’s daughter grades.
Luces, Casteneda and their fellow teachers Maida Serrano and Christain Joy Carillo signed an affidavit submitted by the lawyers of David supporting their claims against WIS.
Lilian filed a case against the WIS before the Department of Education (DepEd) office in Pasig City on April 2. The case was referred to the DepEd regional office and is still pending.
Based on documents obtained by Punto over the weekend, Lilian David of City Center Subdivision here filed falsification of documents and violation of Republic Act No. 7610 against WIS Board of Trustees members Valerie A. Johnson, Sylvia N. Antonio, Eduardo Dale N. Antonio, Dennis N. Antonio, Juan and Francisco N. Antonio. The three others charged were WIS school Principal Violeta De Jesus, Vice Principal Myla Diano and head teacher Maricel Inocencio. RA 7610 is the law against abuse on women and children.
A certain Lyn of the De Jesus’ office, in a phone interview yesterday, said they “are aware of the charges against them and they have referred it to their lawyers.”
She added that De Jesus was having a seminar and could not give statements.
In a press briefing here on Friday, David vowed to pursue the case against WIS officials for sake of “her daughter and truth.” She was accompanied by lawyers Nino Baltazar Enriquez and Victor Bermudo,
David, in her complaint-affidavit, said “that based from her records and from computation made on March 17, 2009 by the Grade 6 teachers headed by Maricel Inocencio, head teacher of the Grade School Department, my daughter obtained 0.17 score higher in her final general average than the other candidate for Class Valedictorian.”
“However, upon an alleged re-computation in the absence of the Grade 6 teachers, the results returned differently and teacher Inocencio declared another student as the class valedictorian,” David’s affidavit added.
David disclosed that “doubting the veracity of the new results and in view of my daughter’s reputation as an outstanding student excelling in every subject, majority of the Grade 6 teachers prodded for a re-computation in their presence and suggested that the matter should be appropriately deliberated.”
She added: “however, teacher Inocencio refused to accede to their legitimate demands.”
FALSIFICATION
“On March 31, 2009, during the Parent-Teacher conference wherein I received my daughter’s Report Card showed that her Core Values rating were altered from ‘O’ for outstanding to ‘NG’ or needs guidance; her adviser Teacher Naida Serrano told me that it was the Board of Trustees decision to alter my daughter’s rating; this alteration allegedly was based from the sentiments she made during her Address of Thanks (delivered on graduation day),” said David’s affidavit.
She added that “as a consequence of the foregoing anomalies and unseen hand that transpired at the WIS, I commenced a complaint against the school, and now pending with the Department of Education.”
Atty. Enriquez showed to Punto the alleged altered grades of David’s daughter affecting her status as candidate for valedictorian.
David, in the same affidavit, said that “it was only recent that I discovered that the decision to alter arbitrary deprive the true ratings of my daughter were made by School Principal De Jesus and Vice-principal Daino.”
She added that “my daughter should be the school valedictorian” as supported by affidavits.
David filed RA 7610 against the WIS officials and teachers because “the whole incident made a big impact on my very young daughter; it affected her trust in the other.”
“My daughter is now less motivated due to the experience and “she worked hard to achieve her goal.”
David and her lawyers cited Sec. 10 of Article V1 (Other Acts of Abuse) of the RA 7610. It said that “any person who shall commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation or be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development including those covered by Article 59 of the Presidential Degree No. 603, as amended, but not covered by the Revised Penal Code, as amended, shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period.”
INSULT TO INJURY
David disclosed that the WIS asked her to sign a waiver stating that her daughter and her elder sister also studying at WIS should act “civil” to allow them to re-enroll for the school year 2009-10. She added that “it was like adding insult to injury.”
David said they have yet to find a new school for her two daughters.
“I will no longer enroll my daughters at WIS.
Former WIS Grade 6 teachers Jenlyn Luces and Ana Marie Castaneda attended the press conference and attested that David’s daughter had been found to have acquired the highest grade among the graduates but was deprived of the top honor at WIS.
Luces said they were allegedly harassed by WIS officials after complaining and demanding for re-computation.
Luces said that WIS top teachers had told them “that those who are involved (in the David case) could go out gracefully.”
She added that t least eight WIS Grade 6 teachers had resigned due to the alleged alteration of David’s daughter grades.
Luces, Casteneda and their fellow teachers Maida Serrano and Christain Joy Carillo signed an affidavit submitted by the lawyers of David supporting their claims against WIS.
Lilian filed a case against the WIS before the Department of Education (DepEd) office in Pasig City on April 2. The case was referred to the DepEd regional office and is still pending.
