As early as March 2019, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has engaged the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) administration regarding reports of male students circulating lewd photos of female schoolmates online without consent.

Through our Child Rights Center, CHR has offered trainings on child rights and protection among students and parents, including on the conduct of child-friendly investigation among members of the faculty and administration to aid in improving handling of such cases.

Hours before the scheduled graduation, reports released late Tuesday relay the decision of the Board of Trustees to bar 6 male students accused of the offence from attending today’s ceremonies, May 29.

This decision aligns with the earlier recommendation of PSHS school committees to not allow the 6 students to graduate, but also effectively counters the Board’s prior decision on the case.

What is clear, however, is that there is a need for a more defined child protection policy to be in place, which also covers better case management for similar instances.

Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the Philippines is a signatory, notes that “in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration”.

For this case, this means that, school officials must be reminded that in carrying our sanctions, the children’s present and future life—their general welfare, safety, and development—must always be put in mind.

We also ask the media to help in protecting the rights of the children by considering this and similar cases as sensitive matters that may affect the children’s future. In this regard, the Guide for Media Practitioners on the Reporting and Coverage of Cases involving Children by the Department of Justice may be of help in carrying out their responsibilities of informing the public, while being aware of the need to respect and protect the rights of the children.

CHR, for its part, commits to continue engaging PSHS and other academic institutions in ensuring that schools remain to be safe spaces for children to learn and develop. For in the end, excellence must not only translate to academic laurels, but to a sense of respect for human rights and dignity. ###