(MANILA BULLETIN)

Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Makati City Mayor Abby Binay has asked parents and guardians to take on a more active role on the issue of possible bullying among their children in school.

“I urge parents and guardians to closely monitor your children for any signs of being bullied, or for behavior that may indicate that they are the aggressor," Binay said in a statement Monday, April 7.

"Be active in school activities raising awareness about the dynamics of bullying and help educate your children on how they can protect themselves through peaceful and lawful means,” she noted.

The Makati mayor made the statement in response to viral videos of violence involving students in public schools that have been linked to bullying. 

In connection with the bullying issue, Binay warned that resorting to body searches and other stringent measures in schools similar to airport security protocols would create a culture of fear among students. 

“Schools should not feel like a war zone. We don’t want to create a culture where children feel fear when they go to school,” Binay said.

“The recent incidents are isolated cases and do not warrant extreme measures,” she added.

The Alyansa bet also called on school administrators, faculty, community leaders, parents and guardians to work together in keeping schools “safe havens for learning”, particularly through the effective implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act.

“The task of keeping our schools safe havens for learning entails sustained and strategic collaboration among all stakeholders. These include the school administrators, teachers, security guards, parents and guardians, and even the barangay peace and order personnel and the police,” Binay said.