PLACER, Surigao del Norte — A father has filed a formal complaint against a teacher over allegations that his three-year-old son was physically abused and improperly restrained inside a private school in Barangay Bad-as, Placer, Surigao del Norte.
The father, identified in his complaint as Cris Oswaldo Bagalay Tabamo, said his kindergarten-aged son allegedly experienced repeated incidents of physical and emotional abuse while under the care of his teacher.
The allegations include claims that the child was tied, had adhesive or duct tape placed over his mouth, and was struck with a stick.
The complaint, dated August 16, 2026, was addressed to the school principal and furnished to the DSWD Field Office XIII, the barangay and its child protection committee, and the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of the police.
The case has since been referred to the appropriate authorities, with the complaint reportedly being forwarded by the PNP-WCPD to the DSWD and barangay authorities for proper disposition.
The allegations have not been established in court, and the teacher and school administration have yet to publicly respond to the specific accusations contained in the father’s complaint.
Father says abuse happened more than once
In a public statement, Cris said his three-year-old son had allegedly been subjected to physical punishment on more than one occasion.
“My 3-year-old son experienced physical abuse in his school. He was tied, his mouth was taped, and he was hit with a stick. This happened more than once.”
The father said the alleged incidents have had a noticeable impact on his son’s behavior.
According to Cris, the child has become fearful, cries when his parents leave for work, and has repeatedly expressed that he no longer wants to return to school.
The father said his son has also been experiencing difficulty sleeping at night.
He described the changes as particularly painful for the family because they had enrolled their child in a private school expecting a safe and child-friendly learning environment.
“A school should be a safe place where every child can learn, grow, and be protected,” Cris said.
Complaint details alleged restraint inside classroom
In the formal complaint, Cris alleged that one incident involved the teacher placing adhesive or duct tape over his son’s mouth and tying the child’s feet with a rope inside the kindergarten classroom.
The father said the teacher allegedly justified the treatment by describing the child as difficult to handle and by claiming that he would take snacks belonging to his classmates.
Cris argued that such behavior should instead have been addressed through age-appropriate guidance and supervision, given that his son is only three years old and is still learning social boundaries and classroom rules.
The complaint characterizes the alleged acts as physical restraint, humiliation and abuse and asks the school and authorities to take immediate action.
Father also alleges failure to report child’s injury
The complaint contains another serious allegation involving an incident on August 12, 2026, when the child was allegedly injured inside Kindergarten Classroom B.
According to the father, his son was allegedly struck or stabbed in the chest by a classmate using a sharp object while under the teacher’s supervision.
Cris said the incident was not immediately disclosed to him or the child’s mother by the school or teacher.
Instead, he said, the family learned about the injury from the child’s nanny, who had attended to the child.
The father questioned why the family was not immediately informed about what he described as a serious injury involving a three-year-old child.
He also rejected any suggestion that the child’s alleged behavior, including taking a toy, snack or other item from another pupil, could justify the violence against him.
The allegations concerning the August 12 incident, including the circumstances surrounding the injury, remain subject to investigation.
Family says school administration was repeatedly informed
Cris said the family had already raised their concerns with school administrators several times before filing the formal complaint.
According to him, they submitted written letters requesting immediate action and personally met with school officials to discuss the allegations.
However, he claimed that no disciplinary action had been taken at the time he made his public appeal and that the teachers involved continued to report for class.
The family has now turned to government authorities, seeking an independent investigation and appropriate action based on the findings.
Child protection authorities expected to assess complaint
The complaint invokes several child protection laws and policies, including Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, and DepEd Order No. 40, series of 2012, which establishes the Department of Education’s Child Protection Policy.
The Commission on Human Rights has previously emphasized that schools are expected to serve as safe environments for children and that physical, verbal and emotional abuse can undermine children’s dignity and welfare.
In Surigao del Norte, local government child-protection mechanisms have likewise been strengthening their capacity to respond to cases involving children, with provincial officials recently reiterating a commitment to zero-tolerance environments against abuse and exploitation.
For the Tabamo family, however, the immediate concern remains the welfare of their young son and ensuring that the allegations are properly investigated.
Cris said he is not seeking an informal settlement with the teacher and intends to pursue the complaint through the proper authorities.
“Children at 3 years old need guidance, patience, and care — not violence and fear,” he said.
He explained that his decision to make the allegations public was not simply to seek accountability for his own child but also to raise awareness and prevent similar incidents from happening to other children.
“No child deserves to go through this. I am sharing so this does not happen to other children.”
The case remains under investigation. The identities of the child and other minors involved should be protected as the authorities determine what actually occurred and whether administrative, civil or criminal violations were committed.
Editor’s Note: The allegations in this report are based primarily on the father’s formal complaint and public statements. They are presented as allegations and should not be construed as a finding of guilt. The teacher and school administration have not yet been given a substantive response in the information available for this report and should be afforded the opportunity to answer the allegations as the investigation proceeds.