The Department of Education (DepEd) is urging Congress to impose stricter penalties for threats and jokes about school attacks, warning that fear of violence is causing severe disruptions.
During a Senate hearing, Education Undersecretary Malcolm Garma raised concerns over “school paralysis” driven by both actual acts of violence and online threats. He explained that receiving a threat triggers automatic class cancellations as a precaution, which disrupts operations and halts student learning.
To address the issue, DepEd proposed that lawmakers increase penalties not only for the “actual act” of violence, but also for making threats or jokes about carrying them out.
The agency commended the Philippine National Police and other authorities for apprehending individuals responsible for recent threats, adding that it will continue strengthening security measures in schools nationwide to protect students, teachers and personnel.