MANILA, Philippines — Senators criticized the Department of Education (DepEd) and public schools for responding to bullying incidents only after videos go viral on social media. During a Senate committee on basic education hearing, they scrutinized a February 18 school violence incident in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.
Senators expressed criticism toward the Department of Education (DepEd) and public schools during a Senate committee on basic education hearing focused on rising bullying cases nationwide. Lawmakers scrutinized a February 18 incident in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, where a video circulating online showed a female student repeatedly shoved, struck with a backpack, punched, and kicked in the head by a classmate inside a classroom during lunch break. DepEd Region 1 director Tolentino Aquino admitted to the panel that the school administration failed to promptly report the incident. “In this particular case, one of the problems was that it went unreported. We only learned about it after three days,” Aquino said in Filipino. Sen. Erwin Tulfo highlighted a potential flaw in Section 12 of the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act, which requires a formal complaint from the victim before an investigation begins. Committee chair Sen. Bam Aquino questioned DepEd on whether teachers must wait for a complaint or can act immediately if they witness an attack firsthand. “If a teacher sees it, can the teacher act on it immediately, or does the teacher have to wait for a student or parent to file a complaint?” Aquino asked. Sen. Raffy Tulfo raised concerns over the rise in bullying cases, some reportedly leading to suicide, despite the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. He cited a student with a disability who died after jumping from the fourth floor of a Metro Manila high school, allegedly due to bullying. “Instead of helping, the law has coincided with an increase in bullying incidents. We are utterly failing. What is the Department of Education doing? Where is the law falling short?” he asked. Lawmakers noted that Congress has held several hearings on bullying in recent years, yet institutions continue to struggle with school violence. The Philippines recorded the highest bullying incidence among surveyed countries in the Program for International Student Assessment for both 2018 and 2022.
