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SEPT 5, 2015

NR # 3948B

Wider coverage of Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 proposed


A lady-lawmaker stressed the need to expand the coverage of the Anti-Bullying
Act of 2013, to include non-school related acts of bullying.
Rep. Lucy T. Gomez (4th District, Leyte) is author of HB 6052 entitled An Act
expanding the coverage of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the AntiBullying Act of 2013.
The laudable purposes of R.A. 10627 practically begins and ends on school
grounds, Gomez stressed.
The lady-author clarified that R.A. 10627 is a relatively new law which seeks to
address hostile environment at school that disrupts the education process which, in turn, is
not conducive to the total development of a child at school.
However, because of the law's school-based approach, she pointed out that the
statute fails to remedy non-school related acts of bullying in the wider scope of a
community.
It is for this reason that an amendatory law is need to give the existing remedial
legislation a greater reach of its coverage, Gomez argued.
The author confidently pointed out that it is not too early to make refinements to the
two-year old anti-bullying law, neither is it too late for Congress, which still has 2016 in
its legislative life to make the need change.
Under HB 6052, Section 2 of R.A. 10627 is proposed to be amended to read as
follows: (proposed amendments in capital letters)
SEC. 2. Act of Bullying. - For purposes of this Act, bullying shall refer to any
severe or repeated use by one or more CHILDREN (students) of a written, verbal or
electronic expression, or a physical act of gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at
another CHILD (student) that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in
reasonable fear or physical or emotional harm or damage to his property, creating a hostile
environment at school OR IN THE COMMUNITY for the other CHILD (student);
infringing on the rights of the other CHILD (student at school); or materially and
substantially disrupting the GROWTH PROCESS (education process or the orderly
operation of a school); such as, but not limited to the following: (xxxxxxxx)
The author also proposes to insert the following paragraph to the aforementioned
Section: UNDER THIS ACT, CHILD OR CHILDREN REFER TO PERSONS

BELOW EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR THOSE OVER BUT ARE INCAPABLE
OR UNABLE TO FULLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
Among other salient provisions, the Department of Social Welfare and
development is hereby directed to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in the
barangays, to govern non-school related instances of bullying.
Such policies shall be regularly updated and shall include, with appropriate
changes, the provisions of Section 3 of R.A. 10627, the bill states.
HB 6052 has been referred to the Committee on Revision of laws chaired by Hon.
Marlyn L. Primicias-Agabas (6th District, Pangasinan) for its appropriate consideration.
(30) dpt

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