MANDAUE CITY, Philippines, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- A parent of a Filipino high school student has accused a math teacher of forcing the class to eat notebook paper for being rowdy, an official said.

Benjamin Tiongzon of the education department in the central Philippines Mandaue City said the parent filed a formal complaint against the teacher with the Office of the Ombudsman, Gulf News reported Tuesday.

Gulf News said filing of the complaint was revealed by The Freeman, a daily broadsheet published in the central Philippines.

The teacher, whose name has not been released, asked for forgiveness during an investigation conducted by the education department's regional office, Tiongzon said.

One of the pupils in the class told a television interviewer that the teacher threw a chair at her because she refused to swallow paper.

The teacher in question was a past recipient of an "outstanding teacher" award, the high school principal said.