Solon seeks expansion of anti-bullying law

Television personality-turned-Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez wants to penalize non-school related bullying or the “street bullying” under her newly-filed “Expanded Anti-Bullying Act.”

She pressed on the need to expand the coverage of Republic Act 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

“In view of its school-based approach, however, RA 10627 fails to remedy non-school related acts of bullying in the wider community. The laudable purposes of the law practically begin and ends on school grounds. It is for this reason that an amendatory law is needed to give the existing remedial legislation a greater reach of its coverage,” TorresGomez said in filing House Bill 6052.

In 2013, the Anti-Bullying Act was enacted 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.

“It is interesting to note that the Vice President expressed recently that he felt being bullied by the Senate and other detractors, while not long after, Senator Grace Poe remarked similarly that she was being bullied by a litigant and other critics who are questioning her citizenship and residency. While probably spoken with tongue-in-cheek, these offhand remarks manifest a widespread revulsion at acts of bullying which are generally considered morally reprehensible,” Torres-Gomez said.

HB 6052 mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in the barangays to govern non-school related instances of bullying in the community. It tasks the local social welfare officer to implement the anti-bullying policies, which shall be formulated within six months from the effectivity of the proposed Act.