Barili mayor wants bullying in school investigated

Barili town Mayor Marlon F. Garcia.(CDN File Photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Barili town Mayor Marlon Garcia wants incidents of bullying in a private school in Cebu City to be investigated following various complaints of parents. 

Garcia, in a statement on Sunday, October 27,  said that a private school failed to address the issue of rampant bullying among their elementary pupils that have become a growing concern among the parents. 

CDN Digital has chosen not to reveal the name of the school and the parties involved to protect the identities of the children. 

The mayor said he was constrained to call the attention of higher authorities after failing to receive any concrete action from the school to address a student’s aggressive behavior, which he said is clearly a risk to the health and safety of the children.

“Napatawag naman daw ang parents aning bataa pero wala gyud resolution until now. (The parents of the child has been called, but there has not been a resolution until now). We demand peace and if the principal cannot decide because he is too weak, we demand he resigns,” said Garcia.

The mayor said he approached the principal after receiving reports that the boy pupil physically harmed other students, including girl pupils. 

Garcia’s own son was one of the victims. He said that for no apparent reason, his son got smacked in the head and kicked in the groin by the other student.

The mayor said his son no longer wanted to go back to school out of fear.

Many parents came out to complain to the mayor that their children experienced the same bullying incidents from this particular student.

Although the school promised to resolve the issue, the mayor has grown impatient and is raising the concern to the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7).

Under Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, “bullying refers to any severe, or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional health.”

Private schools that fail to address bullying may face legal ramifications for violating the law. 

Garcia urged DepEd-7 to investigate the incident and resolve the issue of bullying in the school as soon as possible.

Deped-7 is yet to issue a response to the matter as of this writing. /elb