SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian has filed a resolution to look into the implementation of a law that protects students from bullying and other forms of violence.
Senate Resolution 454 comes after a recent incident in a Quezon City public high school where a student died after being stabbed by a classmate, and a physical altercation between two private school students in Davao City.
“In the midst of alarming incidents of bullying and violence in our schools, it is timely that we review the existing law to ensure that we can promote the safety and well-being of our students,” Mr. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Basic Education Committee, said in Filipino in a statement on Sunday.
“We need to stop bullying in our schools, especially because it causes damage to their learning and mental health,” he added.
The inquiry aims to identify policy and legislative interventions that can improve the country’s enforcement of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 or Republic Act 10627.
Citing a 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment, Mr. Gatchalian said that among 15-year-old learners from 79 countries, Filipinos remain the most vulnerable to bullying, with 65% victimized more than once a month. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
