Poe says anti-bullying law should be strengthened

December 23, 2018

Senator Grace Poe said the bullying incident involving high school students has prompted the need to revisit the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to fill in some gaps on the role of schools in dealing with actual cases.

"Anyone who has seen the video of the violent bullying incident would understand that bullying is a despicable act that insults our humanity," she said.

"There is an Anti-Bullying law in place. However, we believe it should be strengthened to require concrete and timely action from schools," Poe, vice-chairperson of the Senate committee on public order, added.

Poe said she would soon file a resolution to hear out concerned stakeholders in a bid to review and amend the law.

Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, signed by then President Benigno Aquino III, mandates all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in their institutions.

Poe stressed that the current law gives the school administrators too much discretion on when to act on the bullying case.

"It leaves it up to them to determine whether appropriate action can be taken," she explained.

"This is why in the current case, even with the numerous videos that have come out, police are saying that they have to wait for Ateneo to notify them and seek their help," Poe said.

"And, this is why the school administration is saying that it still has to determine if bullying has taken place," she added.

The senator said a possible amendment to the law would require removing the section that gives total discretion to the school.

Poe noted the need for timely response to incidents of bullying.

"For example, anti-bullying committees should be formed, which shall act upon reports of bullying within thirty (30) days after the incident," she said, adding a delayed reaction would allow the perpetrator to do it again.

The members of the proposed body or committee that would look into the incident should not be related in any way to the parties involved, Poe said. DMS