Following a fatal shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Senator Erwin Tulfo has demanded a much stricter enforcement of the nation’s anti-bullying legislation, noting that investigators believe the violence stemmed from bullying.
In an official statement, Tulfo stressed that the tragic incident serves as a critical wake-up call for schools and state departments to aggressively reinforce the Anti-Bullying Act.
”Bagama’t di tama ang naging paraan nila para resolbahin ang bullying sa kanila, isa po itong nakakaalarma na hudyat para sa lahat ng mga eskwelahan at sa mga awtoridad: Lagyan ng pangil ang implementasyon ng ‘Anti-Bullying Act’,” he said.
The lawmaker pointed out that while bullying has traditionally been associated with psychological trauma, physical harassment, and tragic instances of suicide, the disaster in Tacloban highlights a dangerous new escalation where unaddressed bullying can culminate in deadly campus violence.
Tulfo criticized what he viewed as a toothless execution of current safety measures, questioning how many casualties it would take for regulators to fix the gaps in law enforcement.
He further warned against letting campus gun violence turn into a routine crisis in the Philippines.
”Huwag po nating hayaan na mahanay ang ating bansa sa mga lugar na normal na ang mass shooting at bullying sa mga eskwelahan,” he said.
The senator offered his deepest sympathies to the families of the three students killed in the attack, adding that his team is actively reaching out to the bereaved to extend support.
Acting as the head of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development, Tulfo has called for a formal congressional investigation into the shooting.
The inquiry aims to evaluate whether school administrators committed lapses, uncover the underlying factors behind the tragedy, and craft legislative solutions to secure campuses nationwide.