Teacher faces investigation for punishing students with spit-laced soft drinks

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A teacher in Mapandan, Pangasinan is under investigation for allegedly punishing students by forcing them to drink soft drinks contaminated with spit.

In a "24 Oras" report from Jasmin Gabriel-Galban on Wednesday, a video went viral showing kids yelling as they watched their classmates consume the spit-laced drink.

The father of one of the children watched the video of the incident, which occurred last October 15 during recess.

Based on his child’s narration of the events, the child and another victim were drinking soft drinks when another classmate said he also wanted to drink.

The child admitted to his father that he had spat into the drink before giving it to his classmate, who was unaware that it had been contaminated.

Upon finding out, the teacher became mad, hence doling out the said punishment.

While the father was upset, he forgave the teacher, especially since his child had also done something wrong.

“Sana huwag na niyang ulitin 'yun at kung pwede rin, sana 'yung mailipat siya ng ibang eskwelahan,” he said. (I wish that it would not happen again and if possible, I wish the teacher gets transferred to another school.)

Both the parents of the other victim and the teacher did not issue a comment.

However, the school principal explained that the two victims did not just spit in the drink they gave to their classmate. They allegedly urinated in it and gave it to the classmate, hence the teacher’s anger.

The teacher reportedly did not actually intend for the two victims to drink the soft drinks with spit.

The Department of Education (DepEd) Region I will probe the matter with the guidance of the municipal government.

Both children will have a checkup in the hospital. They have also received visits from the Municipal Social Welfare Department.

Mapandan Mayor Christian Vega said that they will look at the situation closely until it is resolved.

Meanwhile, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that the teacher will be given due process.

“We'll give her due process, him or her due process, but there is definitely a disciplinary procedure,” Angara said. —Jean Mangaluz/LDF, GMA News