“Maraming mga bata ang may mental health problems… bukas ang programa para sa mga problemang ganito,” Boy Abunda stated as the segment ‘Payong Kapatid’ concluded in the recent episode of ‘CIA with BA.’

Betty sought help and advice about her daughter who was cyberbullied by one of her classmates.

She shared that her child was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2021. This was triggered by a conversation in the class group chat containing harsh words which even led her daughter to try to end her life.

The kid was then admitted to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), a hospital that is dedicated to delivering preventive, curative and rehabilitative mental health care services.

“Ayon sa batas, lahat ng schools — elementary at high-school, public and private — ay kailangan po ay may mekanismo para sa anti-bullying at may mekanismo ‘pag may nag-complain. And ‘yung mismong batas ay may mga minimum guidelines,” Senator Alan Peter Cayetano explained. “So you can actually complain sa school. You don’t have to go out of the school pa.”

According to Kuya Alan, there are different aspects that need to be considered in cases like this.

“One is medical. Secondly is the legal, at do’n kami magbibigay ng advice sa ‘yo, at kasama sa legal ‘yung administrative, meaning sino ba dapat ang nag-minister o nag-administer, which is the school. [And] this applies to all school around the Philippines,” he said.

Betty also shared that she had an encounter with the mother of the student who bullied her daughter at the school’s guidance counselor’s office.Though she did not feel the sincerity, the other party apologized.

“Irrelevant kung feeling mo, sorry o hindi,” Alan frankly noted. “But in this case nga, it’s the mechanism nung anti-bullying e. So if it happened once, and it was explained to them and they say ‘sorry,’ nagawa nung school ‘yung oblisgasyon nila. Hindi obigasyon kasi ng school to make you feel na sincere ‘yon e.”

Alan however expressed that he understands where Betty is coming from, as a parent.

'“I think ‘pag anak, and then may nagyayari, you really want to be mad at someone e… kasi nga ‘yung puso mo, masyadong nandon sa bata. But ‘yun nga, ‘wag mo munang isipin ‘yung ugali ng parent, ‘yung ugali nung anak, etc. Isipin mo muna anak mo,” he said. “If they’re willing to say ‘sorry’ at tatanggapin naman nung anak mo at ikagagaling naman niya ‘yon, ‘di ba? Whether talikuran mo muna o ipasa-Diyos mo kung sincere sila o hindi, kasi ibang usapan ‘yon e.”

“Then on the medical side, kung may matutulong kami, alam naming mahabang usapan ‘to, magastos, etc. But one thing we can do is to help you with the medical [needs],” the lawmaker co-host pledged.

For her part, Senator Pia Cayetano said: “Ayoko naman gamitin ‘yung salitang ‘move on.’ Ang gusto kong sabihin is, sa ngayon pansamantala… pwede siguro ‘yung energy mo ibuhos mo dun sa kung anong maitutulong mo sa anak mo at kung ano din maitutulong namin.”

“For your sake, to be the best possible mother your child needs now, rely ka talaga dito sa mga professionals and give your daughter all the love and support she needs,” Ate Pia added.

‘CIA with BA’ carries on the legacy of Senator Rene Cayetano, the late father of the sibling senators. The senior Cayetano was a renowned lawyer who gained fame through his radio and TV program 'Compañero y Compañera,' which aired from 1997 to 2001.

Hosted by Alan, Pia, and Boy, ‘CIA with BA’ airs every Sunday, at 11 p.m. on GMA7.