Bullying incident being treated with ‘highest’ priority, says Ateneo president

MANILA, Philippines — The Ateneo de Manila University assured the public that the institution is not taking the bullying incident captured on videos lightly, vowing it would not hesitate to kick out students found guilty of engaging in physical violence.

The now-viral videos show a student verbally and physically attacking schoolmates inside the campus—from making a boy to say “Bobo ako (I am dumb)” to assaulting a peer in a comfort room after forcing him to choose between getting beaten or keeping his dignity.

In a statement, ADMU President Jose Ramon Villarin said the administration is treating the matter with the “highest priority and urgency.”

University President @FrJett has released a statement on the video of violence in Ateneo Junior High School. pic.twitter.com/umeoJROVJA

— Ateneo de Manila (@ateneodemanilau) December 20, 2018

“Let me be very clear: the school does not condone such behavior. We have our codified standards of conduct and all students are made aware of these and their rights and responsibilities,” Villarin said.

The university president stressed the institution is “not silent” on its stand on violence and would not hesitate to impose the penalty of dismissal or even expulsion in cases of grave misconduct.

“A hallmark of Ateneo education is teaching our young men to respect the dignity of others, to practice the value of communication and dialogue and to cultivate the compassion and discipline we all need to build mutual respect and peace in the community,” Villarin said.

Earlier, Jose Antonio Salvador, the principal of Ateneo Junior High School, said the administration had launched an immediate investigation into the matter.

Both Villarin and Salvador cautioned the public on sharing the videos on social media.

“Not only has the privacy rights of these minors been breached but it has also provoked some reactions that do little to help the school in dealing appropriately with the incident,” Salvador said.

Taekwondo association condemns act of violence

The Philippine Taekwondo Association also denounced the acts of violence depicted in the bullying videos. The boy who was captured physically and verbally assaulting his schoolmates is a taekwondo practitioner.

“The Philippine Taekwondo Association condemns any form of misbehaviour that includes harassment, bullying and acts of violence. This is not what taekwondo instills in its practitioners and is a serious matter that we as an association stand against,” the group said.

It said its objective is to teach all taekwondo practitioners modesty, self-respect and respect for others.