Palace says bullying has no place in schools, calls on Ateneo to take action

Malacañang on Friday called on the Ateneo de Manila University to take action on alleged bullying incidents in its premises, saying such acts were against the law.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement amid a viral video showing an Ateneo junior high school student appearing to verbally taunt another student inside the bathroom as another one took the video.

After making the student choose whether to kiss his shoes and his private part or be beaten, the student proceeded to assault the other, taller student.

“I watched that. I was bothered by what I saw. I think they should investigate first why there was such a one-sided fight given the fact that the one who mauled was much smaller. Ang liit niya eh. Nagulat nga ako. ‘Yun pala magaling siya sa taekwondo,” Panelo said at a news conference.

Panelo said something may have triggered the student’s anger, prompting the latter to attack the other student.

“The school should investigate the incidents and do something about it. You cannot be allowing bullying inside classroom and school. Besides there is a law against that,” he said.

Enacted in September 2013, Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act prohibits all forms of bullying on school grounds, school-related functions and bullying through the use of technology.

Retaliation against a person who reports bullying or provides information during the investigation of bullying is also prohibited.

RA 10627 requires schools to impose disciplinary sanctions on the perpetrator of bullying or retaliation. In addition to this, he or she shall be made to undergo a rehabilitation program to be administered by the school concerned.

Ateneo president Father Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ assured the public on Thursday that an investigation into the violent incidents that have gone viral on social media is ongoing and a disciplinary decision will be issued soon after.

"The school is not silent on its stand on violence and it will not hesitate to impose the penalty of dismissal or even expulsion in cases of grave misconduct," he said.

Villarin also made it clear that the university does not condone bullying.

The Department of Education, meanwhile, said they are letting the school's administration conduct its own investigation but may intervene if one party is not satisfied with the results. —LDF, GMA News