AKBAYAN party-list Rep. Chel Diokno has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to confront what he described as a persistent “culture of silence” among bullying victims, following the Tacloban City school shooting that killed at least three students and injured 20 others.
Authorities have reported that the two minor suspects in the San Jose National High School shooting may have been victims of bullying, intensifying calls to address school-based violence and its root causes.
Diokno said the incident underscores the urgency of strengthening safeguards in schools, stressing that educational institutions must remain safe spaces for learners.
“Bullying has no place in our educational institutions,” he said, adding that schools must do more to prevent harm and ensure student safety.
He also warned that gaps in school security must be addressed, noting that firearms should never be able to enter school premises. Diokno called for a thorough investigation into possible security lapses linked to the incident.
Citing findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, he said bullying can escalate into coordinated violence, leading to fear, absenteeism, and school avoidance.
Diokno emphasized that the problem cannot be solved by punitive measures alone, but requires addressing root causes across homes, schools, online spaces, and gun regulation enforcement.
He urged DepEd to expand and strengthen its anti-bullying programs, including scaling up its Learner TeleSafe helpline into regional platforms and submitting funding proposals to support these initiatives.
“It takes a whole-of-government approach to ensure students have a safe space in schools,” he said, adding that Congress is ready to support funding and legislative measures to strengthen protections and student welfare.