August 22, 2019
To whom it may concern:
My name is Raphael John Kurloby B. Corpuz of 7-Descartes. This is the detailed
narrative report of the incident on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.
On Monday, August 19, 2019, during English time, we were grouped by our teacher, Mr.
Apejas, for a performance task. I was in the group EGOB which is composed of girls
who have even class numbers and boys who have odd class numbers. We were given
the option to choose whether to perform a puppet show or a speech choir. Our group
chose speech choir. We have 17 members and we distributed the chapters 11-20 of the
book, ‘My Brother, My Executioner’, to ten members, me included, to choose a quote
and explain it to come up with a script of the speech choir.
On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, during lunch time, our group in English went in front of
the retail store to decide on our pairings for the speech choir. One of my groupmates,
Althea Amoyan, asked who wanted to have solo parts and I raised my hand along with
Aliyah Garcia, and two others whom I cannot remember. I wanted to have a solo part
because it would be easier for me to practice on my own and I am confident that I will
be able to deliver a good performance. Althea wrote our names on her forearm and we
went to our next class immediately.
While waiting for our class in RLS, Kerrighan Plata told me that we are paired with each
other. I said no and that there are still others who don’t have a partner. He repeatedly
told me “I will kill you”. When we got inside the room, Ms. Villanueva allowed us to
practice for our English PeTa because we do not have anything else to do for the class.
I told my groupmates that I don’t want to pair up with Kerrighan and I want to do the solo
part but Althea only said, not directed to me however, that if I dont agree to pair up with
him, they won’t let me perform anymore. I think it was only fair that I voice out that I
want to do a solo because Aliyah and Althea also refused to have partners and they got
the solo parts. We continued without resolving my complain and practiced our
introduction and formations. I was holding my copy of script and Kerrighan took it from
my hand and refused to give it back. I was trying to get it from him by holding his wrist
with one hand and trying to pry his fingers off my script with the other. Because of this
and him trying to resist, he accidentally elbowed Jeremy Salazar. Althea told us off
saying “Huwag kayong makulit.” We stopped and I got my copy of script back. It was
time for our next class.
During Filipino time, we were told that we can sit wherever we want. I sat on a random
seat which is away from Kerrighan but while we were seating, he keeps on mouthing to
me “I will kill you”. That was when I remembered that I have an extra copy of the script. I
checked my bag to see if I was able to bring it and it turned out that I did. Knowing this, I
just ripped off the first copy of my script (the one he tried to get from me) to stop him
from bothering me. Leon Hernandez III, one of our English groupmates and the one
who is seating next to Kerrighan, made a sign to me saying “baliw”. Mr. Sumalbag
allowed us to practice for our English PeTa. Me and my groupmates went outside the
room and there, Kerrighan, with his two hands, grabbed both of my shoulders and with
his right hand holding a towel, pushed my face to the side forcefully as if slapping me. I
got infuriated at him for being physical so I slapped him. After that, he punched me on
the face and kicked my legs repeatedly for so many times I can not remember. I tried to
get away and got a hold of his towel while doing so — I threw it outside the window.
Kerrighan sat on the floor and cried. My classmates saw him crying and Leon told me
“Kasalanan mo.” I asked “Bakit kasalanan ko?” and one of my guy classmates said
“pinunit mo kasi yung script niya.” “Hindi niya iyon script, script ko iyon. Wala akong
ibinigay na script sa kaniya”, I reasoned out. Both of them, along with Rain Abulon, went
to Kerrighan to comfort him. Althea, along with Mikaella Guerra, went to me and told me
to give her my other copy of script. I didn’t give it to her because she said it rudely.
Mikaella on the other hand asked to borrow my script politely and I willingly complied.
When I asked for it back, she wouldn’t give it to me and kept holding it above my head
where I couldn’t reach. She said she won’t give it back because I ripped the other copy.
She’d only give it back if I say sorry to Kerrighan and I refused. Kerrighan was the first
to hit me. He was the one who kept on saying he would kill me just because I told him
that I will have a solo part. He also rudely takes the script away from my hand.
After that, Mikaella and Aliyah talked to me near the stairs, saying “Huwag ka kasing
maarte”, then Rain went to us and told me that I won’t perform anymore. Mikaella and I
walked back to where my classmates are. Mikaella still has my copy by this time but
when I asked her to give it back again, she said she doesn’t know where it is. She said
that maybe if I say sorry to Kerrighan, he might give it to me. I asked Adrian Ellema, the
one standing beside Kerrighan that time, where my copy is and he only said the same
thing. They kept on insisting that I should say sorry to Kerrighan but I wouldn’t because
it isn’t fair for me. We went inside the English room and I told Mr. Apejas what
happened during Filipino time. We tried to resolve the issue inside the classroom but
Kerrighan refused to speak. While I was explaining my side to the classroom, Rain
shouted something along the lines of “Nag-iimbento” which I took offence of. We
continued the English class without fully resolving the issue.
I hereby confirm that everything written above is the truth. I am respectfully writing this
letter to be heard and for people of authority to know my side of the story. Thank you for
taking time to read this narrative.
Sincerely,
Raphael John Kurloby B. Corpuz
7-Descartes
