MANILA, Philippines – Youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan slammed the “dastardly act” of Bicol Central Academy (BCA) owner and administrator Alexander James Jaucian, whose rage and supposed order to burn students’ bags were caught on a video posted on social media.

“The wanton disregard of the property of the students, paid for by their hard-working, ordinary wage-earning parents is reeking with tyrannical if not maniacal regimen by the capitalist-school owner,” the group said in a statement on Monday, August 20.

They added, “No amount of words to condemn the dastardly act committed by the abusive school owner of Bicol Central Academy, who moonlights as a provincial board member of Camarines Sur, could match the atrocities he inflicted on senior high school students.”

Viral photos posted on social media showed Jaucian allegedly ordering that the bags of students be burned after they failed to comply with a “no-bag” policy for a school event. Jaucian was also caught on video calling the students “stupid.”

“To burn their bags is one thing but to berate his own students and call them “stupid” must be the most ironic and irreconcilable act an educator could ever do,” the group said.

They added Jaucian’s actions deserve the “severest” administrative and criminal sanctions and urged parents of the affected students to file charges against him. 

After the Department of Education launched a formal investigation into the matter, DepEd Bicol Director Gilbert Sadsad said on Tuesday, August 21 that it would ask the Department of Social Welfare and Development to file criminal charges against Jaucian for violation of the Child Protection Policy. 

Sadsad also told Rappler that the DepEd will ask BCA’s board of trustees to remove Jaucian from the school and request the Bureau of Fire Protection in Libmanan to investigate the incident for a possible arson case.

As to what might happen to the school itself, SadSad said the DepEd was looking into the possibility of revoking the BCA’s senior high school permit only so that other students would not become “collateral damage.”

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said Jaucian should go on leave. – Rappler.com