DepEd Investigates Reported Incident Involving Two Students Forced to Drink Saliva-Contaminated Soda
Two students went viral online after a teacher allegedly made them drink soft drinks that other students had spat into.
Recently, Russel Simorio Councilor, a Facebook user, shared a post about the alleged humiliation of the two students by a teacher. The post quickly went viral and drew mixed reactions from online users.
The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking into a reported incident at a public elementary school in Mapandan, Pangasinan, where a teacher allegedly made two students drink soft drinks that other pupils had spat into.
According to Simorio, the video showed a teacher instructing several students to spit into a plastic bottle containing a soft drink. After multiple pupils had spat into the bottle, the drink was allegedly given to two students.
The video reportedly showed both children vomiting after drinking it, while one of them was seen crying.
Councilor said he chose not to post the video publicly because of its disturbing content. However, he shared the footage with DepEd Region 1 and called for an investigation into the incident.
He stressed that children should be protected from situations that could harm or humiliate them. Even if students make mistakes, he said, they should be corrected in appropriate ways rather than subjected to actions that could affect their health and dignity.
Following his report, DepEd Region 1 responded and confirmed that the video had reached the regional director. The official then directed the Schools Division Superintendent and the Schools Division Office of Pangasinan 1 to look into the matter.
The regional director also planned to visit the school to investigate the incident personally and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported act.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
