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MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Thursday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to carefully assess their proposal of entering schools to maintain safety following a string of violent incidents on campuses.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. previously called upon public and private schools to let police officials enter premises during school activities, including the fatal stabbing of a teenager at a school in Quezon City.
READ: PNP urges schools to allow cops inside their premises to deter crimes
According to the CHR, there is a need to “seek balance in upholding safety in educational institutions by further studying the implications of this proposal.”
The Commission also reminded the government that the Philippines is a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that “an adult’s judgment of a child’s best interest cannot override the obligation to respect all the child’s rights under the Convention.”
The Department of Education (DepEd) has previously released an order saying schools should generally be free from armed presence.
“Schools, as a general rule, should be free from the presence of armed combatants, whether they be from government forces or armed groups. Armed force protection units from government forces, if needed, shall be situated proximate to the school and not inside the school,” stated the DepEd in Order Number 32, series of 2019.
“We thus urge the PNP to similarly consult and work with DepEd in protecting the rights of children in educational settings,” said the CHR.
Child development is a multisectoral committee, said the Commission, meaning that the government, families, communities and more have a role in ensuring that children develop holistically.