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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Are school safety protocols being properly enforced? Brian Poe wants to know

Are school safety protocols being properly enforced? Brian Poe wants to know

Published Jun 24, 2026 05:25 pm

At A Glance

  • Rep. Brian Poe filed HR No. 1147 to probe enforcement of school safety, child protection, bullying prevention, and mental health laws after the Tacloban school shooting.
  • He cited poor implementation, with DepEd resolving only 11% of bullying cases, alongside high bullying rates and a shortage of guidance counselors.
  • The inquiry will review school committees, mental health centers, firearm regulation gaps, and online safeguards, with DepEd, DOH, DSWD, and PNP expected to be summoned to give recommendations.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Ellson Quismorio / MANILA BULLETIN)
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Ellson Quismorio / MANILA BULLETIN)


There is a pressing need for the House of Representatives to look into how the country’s school safety, child protection, and student mental health laws are being implemented.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe filed for this purpose on Wednesday, June 24 House Resolution (HR) No. 1147, even as he joined his fellow lawmakers in condemning the school shooting in Tacloban City that resulted to the deaths of three minors.
The resolution directs the Committee on Basic Education and Culture, in coordination with the Committees on Welfare of Children and Health, "to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the implementation of existing laws and policies on school safety, anti-bullying, learner mental health and well-being, emergency preparedness, and child protection in basic education, in light of the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City".
Among the fatalities was 15-year-old Chris Lorenz Fabian, who died while shielding his classmates from the two shooters, were aged 14 and 15.
Although the suspects are in custody, the incident has raised urgent questions about how the two accessed firearms from licensed owners and why earlier warning signs of the attack weren't addressed. Reports said they were victims of bullying.
Poe noted that while the Philippines has strong laws on paper, actual enforcement left a lot to be desired.
He cited a January 2025 report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which showed that the Department of Education’s Learner Rights and Protection Office resolved only about 11 percent of its recorded bullying cases between late 2022 and mid-2024.
Poe, a vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, earlier filed HR No. 57 in the current 20th Congress. It sought an inquiry into the risks and policy gaps surrounding children's use of social media.
He said his latest resolution addresses the distinct and urgent dimension of school-based violence and the implementation of existing laws meant to keep learners safe.
The country tracking some of the highest student-reported bullying rates globally alongside a critical shortage of school guidance counselors.
Specifically, Poe's proposed House probe will scrutinize the functionality of active anti-bullying and child protection committees in schools, the institutional preparedness for armed violence and active-threat emergencies, the funding and staffing of campus mental health care centers mandated in late 2024, how the minors easily obtained weapons under current firearm regulation laws, and the strength of existing safeguards protecting minors from violent online content.
Representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are expected to be summoned to the inquiry in order to provide insights and recommendations.
Poe emphasized that the entire inquiry will protect the privacy and dignity of the surviving minor victims, witnesses, and children in conflict with the law.
He says the ultimate goal ofis to introduce the budget adjustments and legislative fixes necessary to keep school environments safe for all Filipino learners.

Related Tags

Brian Poe Tacloban school shooting House of Representatives DepEd FPJ Panday Bayanihan
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