San Juan City wants to outlaw bullying

A San Juan city councilor has proposed an ordinance that will require all schools in the city to come up with a concrete policy against bullying.

Councilor Angelo Agcaoili said in a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer that the “San Juan City Anti-Bullying Ordinance” was in response to earlier reports of the Sangguniang Kabataan that bullying in the city’s schools has reached alarming proportions.

Bullying, which he defined as “any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture to put someone in reasonable fear,” will be prohibited in San Juan once the ordinance, which was recently passed on first reading, is approved.

“Several studies showed that most students in primary and high schools have experienced various forms of abuse from their peers such as harassment or provocation, foul language, name calling, tormenting or even commenting negatively on someone’s looks, clothes and body,” he said.

Acts of bullying, he added, also include punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping or doing pranks and teasing.

The councilor said that school authorities should have the right to refuse enrollment, expel or discipline students who have been found guilty of bullying another student.

The proposed measure also seeks to require the formation of a committee composed of school principals in all elementary and high schools in San Juan City.

Agcaoili said the committee would be tasked to adopt a document on the guidelines, policies, procedures, rules and regulations against bullying. The document would then be incorporated into the schools’ code of conduct for students.

“Such document shall be called the ‘San Juan City Schools Guidelines on Bullying’ and shall be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of San Juan City for ratification,” he added.

According to him, school officials who fail to act on cases of bullying in their turf that have been brought to their attention will be held liable.

The punishment for these school officials, however, was not specifically included in the proposed ordinance since the matter would still be discussed and agreed upon by the committee created by the ordinance.