MANILA – Sen. Erwin Tulfo called on schools and authorities—including the police, local social welfare offices, and the Department of Education (DepEd)—to stop being reactionary and take proactive steps to curb bullying in schools.

Speaking during the first hearing of the Committee on Basic Education on his privilege speech, Tulfo emphasized that the current measures under Republic Act No. 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, often address bullying only after complaints are filed, allowing incidents to persist unchecked.

“That’s our problem, we are reactionary. What do you do when you find out that a child has been bullied in a certain school? Do you call the parents? We rely on you to implement the law, execute it, but what’s happening?” Tulfo asked.

He suggested immediate parental notification and early intervention, noting that other countries act swiftly by alerting the parents of both the bully and the victim and warning them of penalties.

Tulfo also criticized the IRR of the Anti-Bullying Law, which requires a formal complaint before an investigation can begin. “What if the bullied child cannot report the incident out of fear? Can’t you initiate a motu proprio investigation? There’s really no proactive action,” he remarked.

DepEd Director Razzel Anne T. Requesto clarified that reports from bystanders are recognized under the IRR, and teachers can initiate preliminary fact-finding steps.

Tulfo stressed that every school should be a safe space for Filipino children. “Our anti-bullying act is pointless. Perhaps, it really needs to be reviewed and replaced. Imagine that, it came out three times (in social media) before we acted. What if the bullied, feeling weak and down, ended his own life, like in Sen. Raffy’s story? How can we prevent that?”

He concluded, “In the name of the children who suffer in silence inside our classrooms, let us review the Anti-Bullying Act, strengthen its provisions, and ensure that every classroom in the Philippines is truly safe for every Filipino child.”