Mary Sophia Angela Buenavidez

The Department of Education on April 25 confirmed the school reassignment of the principal in a viral graduation video where she forced the graduating students to remove their togas. 

Photo Courtesy of Presidential Communications Office.

“The principal was removed from her position in the school per President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary Sonny Angara,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed in a brief conference. 

She also clarified that the principal’s license was not revoked, but was temporarily suspended. 

The Assistant Regional Director of Region 6 will serve as the officer-in-charge of Colonel Ruperto Abellon National School according to DepEd’s Facebook announcement on April 26. 

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), in the same post, has also approved the said transfer as it will not influence the conduct of elections in the said area.

In the video, mid-ceremony, the principal went up on stage and reprimanded the learners to remove their togas, as this was not the prescribed “uniform and sablay”. 

The principal told the teachers to list the students who did not follow the dress code and may not receive their diplomas. 

The video went viral on Facebook last April 15 and was later revealed to have happened at Colonel Ruperto Abellon National School in Laua-an, Antique.

DepEd, in a post last April 17, clarified that "the toga or sablay may be worn as an optional supplementary garment" as stated in  DepEd Memorandum No. 27, s. 2025 and DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023.

“For clarification, DepEd policy does not prohibit the wearing of togas,” it added. 

Upon ongoing investigation, DepEd Antique says there was a possibility that there was no agreed-upon dress code for students in a meeting with the teachers and parents. 

The Schools Division of Antique called the school head and other concerned officials to submit an incident report with an appropriate intervention plan. 

They also assured that the affected students would graduate and would not be deprived of receiving their diplomas and certificates.