JEDDAH, 13 July — An employee of the violence-prone International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ) is under investigation for beating a school official last night, Arab News learned last night.
Several parents and a school official who called Arab News by phone said IPSJ chairman Efren Rodriguez was talking during an assembly of school officials and parents at the school quadrangle when he was attacked.
The sources said identified the attacker only as a school bus driver.
Rodriguez, who was seated behind a presidential table, was answering queries from the floor at about 8 p.m. when the driver rushed him from behind and hit him on the head with an iron chain, the informants said.
“There was blood all over his (Rodriguez’s) head and face,” one of the parents said.
Rodriguez was brought by his colleagues and friends to a hospital, they said.
It was learned that a Saudi guard at the school took the suspect under his custody and turned him over to the police.
The violent attack reportedly threw the assembly into panic and confusion.
Among the witnesses, say the informants, was Taha Guinomla, the administrative officer of the Philippine Consulate General, who attended the assembly as a parent.
The school board called the assembly to discuss the IPSJ’s proposed new constitution. Before the beating incident, a heated argument reportedly ensued over the disbursement of school funds.
Some parents, teachers and officials wanted members of the board to review any disbursement since there were only two signatories — the board chair and the finance officer. Another contentious issue was about a proposal to include the IPSJ principal as among the signatories on fund disbursements.
Rodriguez reportedly opposed the proposal, explaining that the Saudi Ministry of Education requires that only the elected members of the school board could be appointed as signatories on fund disbursements.
“Sayang dahil lumalabas na sana ang mga baho nila sa iskwelahan tapos biglang napigil sa karahasan (It was unfortunate because the anomalies going on in the school were about to be exposed when the violent incident erupted,” another parent said. (A.N.)