Videos of an alleged inebriated student confronting a senior high school teacher in class have been circulating on social media platforms.
The video showed a male student talking to a female teacher who suspected that the former had been drinking alcohol.
According to the teacher, she was in the middle of a lecture when the student suddenly entered the classroom and asked permission for him to “sit in” the class.
To “sit in” is to attend an activity like a class or a meeting without officially participating.
The teacher said that she did not allow it and explained that it appeared the student had been drinking.
That was when their confrontation began.
The student argued with the teacher and allegedly called her “tarantado,” a derogatory term that translates to moron, stupid, or a fool. It is also considered a synonym for another derogatory term, “g*go.”
The teacher told the student that he smelled like he took alcohol, which offended him. He also furiously claimed the educator called him a “lasinggero” or a drunkard.
The student was asked to leave, but he refused and instead argued with the educator about why he went into the classroom.
“Ba’t ka pupunta dito, hindi kita estudyante!” the teacher exclaimed in response.
Social media users have claimed that the student is already at the college level.
In the video, another student could be heard asking the alleged intoxicated student to leave the classroom since they still have a “quiz.”
The confrontation ended when another adult entered the classroom and asked the confrontational student to leave after the latter attempted to approach the teacher aggressively.
Another video showed the student crying in a corridor while the adult who had entered the classroom berated him.
Some social media users claimed that the incident happened in a branch of STI College, a private, for-profit educational institution.
STI College, however, has not issued a statement regarding the incident that allegedly took place within one of its campuses.
The incident caught the attention of Guam Partosa, a law student and community organizer, who quoted two statutes.
“Batas Pambansa 873 Section 1 states that ‘teachers, professors… et al… in the actual performance of their professional duties or on the occasion of such performance are deemed persons in authority,” Partosa wrote.
The whole provision from Batas Pambansa 873 is as follows:
In applying the provisions of Articles 148 and 151 of this Code, teachers, professors, and persons charged with the supervision of public or duly recognized private schools, colleges and universities, and lawyers in the actual performance of their professional duties or on the occasion of such performance shall be deemed persons in authority.
Partosa also cited Batas Pambansa 232 which had provisions stating the teaching staff’s “special rights and/or privileges.” This includes the following:
Teachers shall be deemed persons in authority when in the discharge of lawful duties and responsibilities, and shall, therefore, be accorded due respect and protection.
School handbooks usually prohibit bringing alcohol or going to the premises while under the influence of liquor.