In November 2021, a prominent teacher at the Philippine High School of Arts in Los Baños, Laguna died under vague circumstances. This was the start of an avalanche of revelations about this teacher's sexually abusive behaviour and the school that protected him all these years.
His death was the catalyst that broke a seal of silence amongst former students of the Philippine High School of Arts who have been harbouring secrets and nightmarish trauma from their youth - trauma from being sexually abused by students, staffers and teachers who should have known better as adults with a duty of care towards vulnerable individuals.
Details of the scandal would not have made it beyond Luzon or the Philippines were it not for an intrepid reporter for VICE News, JC Gotinga, who broke news of the scandal in June 2022. He interviewed numerous former students who told him of their experiences, what the school did in the aftermath and how their lives turned out after leaving the exclusive school.
This episode owes everything to JC Gotinga's reporting as well as videos from GMA, ABSCBN and One News PH. I want to encourage you to read his main article and his follow- up article published shortly after the main one. I also encourage you to watch the YouTube videos from the three channels I mentioned in the episode
I have tried to collate all the information in these main sources and some secondary sources as well to give an overview of the case and give my own thoughts on the matter, an issue that deeply disturbs me.
I hope you find value in this episode.
If you have experienced something similar as described in the episode, please reach out and talk to someone. Here are some resources:
PHILIPPINES
- Department of Social Welfare & Development or to the Child Health and Intervention and Protective Service (CHIPS) Tel. No. 734-4216
- Anti-Child Abuse, Discrimination, Exploitation Division (ACADED) National Bureau of Investigation Tel. Nos. 525-6028/525-8231 loc. 403 & 444
- Commission on Human Rights Child Rights Center Tel. No. 927-4033 (Mon-Fri during office hours)
- Philippine National Police Operation Center Tel. Nos. 712-8613/722-0540 & 724 8749 or nearest police station
- DOJ Task Force on Child Protection, Tel. Nos. 523-8481 to 89 or contact the nearest Provincial, City or Regional Prosecutor
- Local Barangay Council for the Protection of Children
USA
To report an incident or suspicious situation that may involve the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children, file a report on the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com , or call 1-800-843-5678.
UK
Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
call our Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Dedicated child protection specialists will be able to advise and take any necessary action.
CANADA
- If the child is in immediate danger call 911 or your local police.
- You can call nearest Office of Department of Social Development.
- You can also make a report by calling 1-888-99-ABUSE (1-888-992-2873)
AUSTRALIA
If it's not an emergency,
call Police on 131 444. Report suspected child abuse to the Child Protection Hotline on 1800 700 250 (24 hours, 7 days a week) or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000. Online: Members of the public and professionals can submit a report online.
NEW ZEALAND
Suspected abuse of a child should be reported to
Oranga Tamariki and/or the NZ Police. Oranga Tamariki and the NZ Police are able to investigate allegations and hold offenders accountable. You can find information about reporting suspected abuse of a child to Oranga Tamariki on their website.
105 is the number for Police...
