FIVE high school students were hurt when they clashed with at least 10 security guards inside the compound of the Department of Education in Pasig City on Friday morning.

Around 50 students belonging to militant youth groups League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan forced their way into the DepEd headquarters around 10:30 a.m. seeking an audience with Education Secretary Armin Luistro to protest ?illegal fees? allegedly collected in public schools.

Most of them were students of Culiat, Ramon Magsaysay and Quirino High Schools in school uniforms.

The students encountered at least 10 security guards on their way to Luistro?s office after marching past two guards stationed at the gates. The guards started beating them up with truncheons and handheld radios, said Roberto Amparo, a student leader. Five of them were rushed to the Rizal Medical Center after sustaining bruises and contusions in the head.

The injured students were identified as Ivan Bontorostro, Mark Gil Gamido, Ronald Santos, James Anajao, and Raymond Ubero. Another, Ronald Gustillo, was handcuffed and held briefly by the security guards. He was later freed when police arrived to investigate the incident.

Amparo said that in their recent dialogue with DepEd officials, former Undersecretary Franklin Sunga promised to investigate the matter and act on it immediately.

?We wanted a refund of all collected fees in all public schools. We can?t afford to pay the fees. That?s why we were sent to public schools,? Amparo said.

The students said the fees for the Parent Teachers? Association and Citizen?s Army Training ranged from P300 to P1,000.

According to the students, the security guards started the scuffle. A DepEd employee, Vincent Reyes, who claimed to have witnessed the fight, said the guards were just pacifying the students who started beating them.

Meanwhile, the DepEd said it will investigate the liability of the security guards who figured in the scuffle.

DepEd Undersecretary Alberto Muyot said the department would also look into the grievances the students wanted to convey to officials.
?Once we get the side of the students, we?ll look into the acts on the part of DepED guards. If there were violations of their rights, we will hold the guards culpable,? said Muyot. With Tarra Quismundo