Sarrat school principal posts P336,000 bail in sexual assault, lasciviousness cases

The principal of Sta. Rosa National High School in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, was temporarily released from detention after posting P336,000 bail in connection with charges of sexual assault and two counts of acts of lasciviousness.

The school official was arrested in Laoag City in connection with the cases and was subsequently granted temporary liberty after posting bail.

The charges stemmed from allegations involving a student, including the alleged online posting of a sensitive photograph of the minor. The principal had previously denied responsibility for the alleged publication, claiming that the online account had been hacked.

According to the principal's earlier explanation, the account was allegedly compromised on July 25, with the matter brought to the official's attention on July 27, when the principal learned that a sensitive photograph had appeared in the account's story.

The principal reportedly maintained that the photograph had previously been shared by the student in conversations seeking advice about personal problems.

The principal also claimed that the student had communicated through the Facebook account around the time the alleged hacking occurred, amid concerns that the student was being accused of having a scandal.

The school official alleged that an unauthorized person could have been controlling the account and may have been responsible for uploading the photograph. The principal said the student and the student's parents were informed that the alleged post was not made by the account's owner.

Despite the denial, the student's parents proceeded with filing a complaint against the school official.

The principal reportedly went on leave while the allegations were being investigated and had not returned to the school in Sarrat as of the latest available information.

The posting of bail allows the accused temporary liberty while the cases proceed through the judicial process. It does not constitute an acquittal or a determination of innocence.