Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno has called on authorities to thoroughly investigate claims that bullying drove two Grade 9 students to carry out a deadly shooting at San Jose National High School.
In a statement released Tuesday, June 23, the lawyer-legislator pressed the Department of Education (DepEd) to dismantle the persistent “culture of silence” surrounding school bullying.
The appeal follows a horrific incident in Tacloban City, Leyte, where two boys aged 14 and 15 allegedly snuck into a campus armed with a .9mm pistol and a .38 caliber revolver. The suspects opened fire on fellow students, leaving three minors dead.
”The shooting incident is extremely alarming and troubling, as schools are meant to be safe spaces for students. Bullying has no place in our educational institutions,” Diokno said.
Citing data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), Diokno noted that unchecked bullying often snowballs into coordinated aggression, breeding fear, chronic absenteeism, and school avoidance.
”We won’t see an end to this situation unless we address the problem of the culture of silence among victims of bullying,” said the lawyer-legislator.
“Ang sagot sa karahasan ay hindi karahasan. Kailangan nating tugunan ang mga ugat ng problema—mula sa mga pagkukulang sa tahanan, paaralan, at online spaces, hanggang sa mga butas sa regulasyon ng baril at sa pagpapatupad nito,” he added.
The tragedy has reignited fierce public debate over child accountability and the efficacy of the country’s juvenile justice system.
Addressing calls to amend the law, the first-term lawmaker noted that legal structures for youth accountability already exist.
“Sa gitna ng trahedyang ito, nauunawaan natin ang galit ng taumbayan at ang panawagan para repasuhin ang Juvenile Justice Law. Nais kong linawin na sa kasalukuyang batas, may mekanismo na para panagutin at i-rehabilitate ang mga menor de edad, habang may pananagutan din ang mga magulang,” Diokno said.
Demanding an exhaustive investigation into school security lapses, Diokno insisted that guns must never breach school grounds.
“Kasabay nito, kailangang palakasin pa ang mga hakbang upang mapangalagaan ang kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” he noted.
To prevent future tragedies, Diokno urged DepEd to request more funding to bolster anti-bullying programs, specifically pointing to the regional expansion of the Learner TeleSafe helpline.
”Congress is prepared to support these efforts through both budgetary allocations and legislative measures that will strengthen protections against bullying and promote student well-being,” he added.