Division of City Schools, Quezon City

SFHS Cpd., Misamis St., Quezon City

LEGAL SECTION
In re: In the matter of burned incident of
Arnel Alpahando during the overnight
camping on January 14, 2015.

FACT-FINDING
INVESTIGATION REPORT
This relates to the incident involving Arnel Alpahando, student of
Doa Josefa E. Marcos Elementary School who suffered major burns on
the schools overnight camping last January 14, 2015. It appears from
the record that Mr. Michael Aba verbally assigned Nelson Mabanglo,
Glen Aglinao, Erma Palmes and Lulu Abalos to look into the students
who will participate in a cooking contest. Nelson Mabanglo and Glen
Aglinao were assigned to the Boy Scouts and on the other hand Erma
Palmes and Lulu Abalos were assigned to the Girl Scouts that will
participate in the said cooking contest. It also appears that the said
four (4) teachers assigned by Mr. Michael Aba, as stated in their
statement and during the clarificatory conference admitted that indeed
they verbally accepted the duties to look into the students verbally
assigned to them.
It further appears from their statement that the administrators of
the school for the said event did not provide a committee on safety
and security for a particular cooking contest and they were just picked
the said four (4) teachers who voluntarily heeded to the said
assignment on that precise moment thinking that they would be
charged of insubordination if they did not accept the assignment.

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During the said cooking contest, one of the Boy Scouts

participants named Andrei Kinkito able to bring the denatured alcohol
(thinner) and poured it over the burning charcoal to facilitate the
combustion which the fire chased the trail of the alcohol going to the
bottle making Andrei accidentally poured the alcohol to the victim Boy
Scout Arnel Alpahando. This unfortunate event happened because the
assigned teachers heeded to the call of their co-teacher from the
canteen to eat merienda and relied on the fact that there are many
teachers around watching the said activity.
As a result of the said incident, Arnel Alpahando suffered major
burns on his leg and immediately brought to the hospital. Fortunately,
the victim was on a recovery stage and the PTA members and
concerned teachers including the said four (4) teachers are helping the
victim and his family morally and financially and promised to until the
full recovery of the victim.
The sole issue in this case is whether or not the school
administrators, coordinators, and teachers assigned to look into the
safety of the boy/girl scouts participants are negligent on their part.
Records reveal that from the very beginning of a particular
cooking contest, the school administrators, as clearly gleaned from the
minutes of meeting conducted on December 1, 2014 and January 13,
2015 failed to constitute a particular committee on safety and security
despite the fact that the cooking contest on its nature requires safety
measure due to the use of fire. It was clearly indication of negligence
on the part of the principal by failure to secure the safety and security
on the participant students especially in this kind of activity. Head of
school is obliged to supervise the entirety of school activities especially

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the night camp activity and negligence on its part will put the student
at risk.
On the same hand, Michael Aba as over-all scout coordinator is
obliged to orderly assign all necessary committee in all particular
activities like cooking contest and eventually coordinate to the
principal all development of the entire activity. Likewise, the assigned
teachers Glen Aglinao and Nelson Mabanglo who admitted the fact that
they accepted the verbal assignment from Mr. Michael Aba as Scout
coordinator clearly manifest their intention to be bound by the
obligation to secure the safety of the students. The fact that these two
(2) teachers leaved the students assigned to them to look into during
the cooking contest is a clear indication that they neglected the duties
and obligation assigned to them.
Wherefore, after perusal investigation of the records of the
case and conduct of fact finding hearing, the undersigned investigator
respectfully recommends that Mrs. Jocelyn A. Lopez, principal of Doa
Josefa E. Marcos Elementary School, Michael Aba, Nelson Mabanglo
and Glen Aglinao of the same school be charged of Simple Neglect of
Duty.
SO RECOMMENDED, March 11, 2015

ATTY. WADE A. LATAWAN

Legal Officer

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