Batangas trans student humiliated after guard orders removal of bra in public

The university’s manual does not contain a policy that directs students to remove undergarments on the spot, says Office of Student Discipline.

Imagine arriving at school in your PE uniform, expecting nothing more than the usual ID and bag check—only to allegedly be told by a campus security officer to remove your bra.

That is what first-year College of Teacher Education student Jamie Alday says happened to her at Batangas State University–The National Engineering University (BatStateU-TNEU) Lipa Campus on September 8.

The alarming incident was reported by The APEX, the official student publication of the campus, after Alday publicly spoke about an encounter she described as humiliating and distressing.

‘Hubarin mo yung bra mo’

Alday said she was entering the campus in her PE uniform when a guard inspected her bag and initially allowed her through. Another security personnel, identified in The APEX report as Mr. Joey Leuterio, allegedly checked her ID and told her to remove her earrings.

Then came an order she never expected.

“After po non nagulat nalang po ako ng sinabi niya na hubarin mo yung bra mo,” Alday told The APEX.

Worse, Alday said it happened in the campus lobby, with students and security personnel nearby.

“Actually all eyes on me po talaga silang lahat,” she recalled, saying the guard spoke loudly enough for people around them to hear.

Her classmate Jessamae M. Basa, who was standing behind her, was reportedly also shocked by the instruction.

A bra as a dress-code issue?

According to Alday, the security personnel showed her the university handbook and cited dress-code provisions for male students. She said she was placed under the male category, which restricts students from wearing items considered feminine.

But Alday said she saw no rule specifically prohibiting bras—or allowing security personnel to order a student to remove an undergarment.

She refused to take it off.

“Hindi ko po talaga hinubad yung bra ko that time kasi nga po may bust po ako kaya ayoko pong hubarin yung bra ko sa harap ng mga tao,” she said.

Alday claimed she was then warned that she could receive a violation if it happened again.

University official: No such protocol

The university’s own Office of Student Discipline, however, said its manual contains no protocol directing students to remove undergarments on the spot.

“We don’t have a protocol doon sa ating manual na nagsasabi pag especially undergarments, na paalisin right then and there,” Office of Student Discipline head Asst. Prof. Rey Anthony N. Abing told The APEX.

According to Abing, students who fail to follow the dress code may instead be denied entry or face appropriate sanctions.

For Alday, what happened was not simply about clothing.

“My undergarment is part of my dignity, my comfort, and respect for my identity as a transgender woman,” she wrote in her public statement. “Forcing me to remove it without a proper explanation and causing public embarrassment is not only disrespectful but also violates my human rights and right to privacy.”

The Office of Student Discipline has reportedly contacted Alday, while the Supreme Student Council said it is committed to protecting student rights and ensuring policies are enforced with respect and fairness.

As of The APEX’s report, the publication was still seeking information from the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Gender and Development Office, and Security Services.

The security personnel’s response was also not included in the developing report, and the allegations have yet to be resolved through a formal university investigation.

But the incident leaves an uncomfortable question hanging over the campus: How did enforcing a dress code allegedly end with a student being told to remove her bra in front of other people?

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