Philippine schools' authority to discipline students for off-campus misconduct stems from the 1987 Constitution, which mandates schools to teach citizenship, strengthen ethical values, and develop moral character and discipline. The Family Code further empowers schools, administrators, and teachers with special parental authority and responsibility over minors under their supervision, extending this authority to activities both on and off campus, based on the principle of in loco parentis.
The principle of in loco parentis means that schools act 'in the place of parents' regarding the discipline of minors under their care. This includes the right to impose disciplinary measures as circumstances warrant, even for actions occurring outside school grounds.