Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday, April 13 expressed deep concern over the recent deaths of two Grade 8 students by fellow classmates outside their school in Las Piñas City describing the incident as "beyond alarming."
Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Committee on Basic Education, intimated that the incident, which involves two students at Aguilar High School, strongly indicates a breakdown in the moral education of students.
"This is beyond alarming—it is a clear sign of a crisis. Two more Grade 8 students in Las Piñas were stabbed to death by three fellow learners outside their school," Gatchalian said in a statement.
"When violence becomes the language of our youth, we must confront the hard truth: we are failing in our duty to raise a generation grounded in discipline and respect," the senator warned.
Last week, Gatchalian led the basic education panel's inquiry into the recent cases of bullying and violence in schools, after a video of a group of students watching on as their fellow classmate was physically dragged to the floor while pulling her hair went viral.
The Senate inquiry also took up the case of a male Grade 8 student who stabbed to death a female classmate after the latter refused to lend her makeup kit.
Gatchalian noted that the law on Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education, has yet to be fully implemented.
The lawmaker also highlighted the importance of ensuring that parents and local government units (LGUs) are involved in disciplining and preventing violence in schools.
"Kung ganito na ang mga kabataan, dapat tayong mangamba sa kinabukasang hinuhubog natin (If our young people are like these nowadays, we ought to be concerned about the future we are trying to shape)," he said.
At the same time, the senator reiterated the need for authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"We must bring the perpetrators to justice. We cannot wait for more student deaths before we implement the interventions available to us, including the GMRC and Values Education Act," Gatchalian said.
"LGUs should be mobilized now to implement the Parent Effectiveness Service Program to shape our learners to be good and responsible citizens," he stressed.