THE DEPARTMENT of Education said that administrative charges were filed against five of the seven teachers who were accused of sexually harassing students in Bacoor, Cavite.

The five educators were slapped with charges of serious misconduct, acting against the service’s best interests and violation of DepED Order 40, series of 2012.

“I guess the question is why only five were charged out of the seven. When we spoke with the school’s division office and legal department, they said there was not enough evidence yet to include the two others in the complaint. That’s why we were only able to press charges against the five,” DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa said.

They also face 90-day preventive suspension and they have the option of “proceedings by position paper only or by trial.”

The DepEd said that it is crucial for victims to come forward and register complaints in order to support their claims and guarantee that sufficient steps are taken to provide safe learning environments in schools.

“We are calling on victims of alleged sexual harassment to come out and give your affidavit, statement, or evidence so that we can file formal charges,” Poa said.