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The Senate Committee on Basic Education, chaired by Sen. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, opened hearings on Thursday, July 9, on the proposed School Safety Act, a measure meant to address violence, bullying, and other threats that put students at risk both inside and outside campuses.
The joint hearing, held with the committees on higher, technical, and vocational education, brought lawmakers together to examine whether existing laws and school policies are enough to keep students safe, or whether new legislation is needed to close the gaps.
Aquino said the bill started out as an anti-bullying measure but has since grown into a broader school safety framework. Among its key provisions are the wider use of CCTV and other security systems in schools, stronger emergency response protocols, expanded mental health and psychosocial support for students, and closer coordination between schools, local governments, and law enforcement.
"We are here because we believe that schools should be places of learning, not fear. It is essential for parents to have confidence that their children can return home safely after attending school," Aquino said.
The hearing comes weeks after two tragedies that renewed public pressure for stronger school safety measures. On June 8, Ateneo de Manila University student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili drowned during a team-building activity for the school's men's basketball team in Dipaculao, Aurora. Two weeks later, on June 22, a shooting inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City left three students dead and 20 others wounded, in an attack allegedly carried out by two minors, aged 14 and 15.
"We are here because we want to ensure that the incidents in Tacloban, Aurora, and other parts of the country do not happen again," Aquino said, referring to both incidents as the reason behind the urgency of the hearing.
The senator stressed that keeping schools safe is not a burden that falls on the Department of Education or school administrators alone. "It is a responsibility that belongs to the whole nation. It is the duty of the entire country. It is the responsibility of parents, the community, and above all, it is the responsibility of each one of us here," he said.
He added that lawmakers owe it to students, teachers, and parents alike to act. "Ultimately, we owe it to our youth to provide schools that are safe and offer hope. We owe it to our teachers to ensure a secure environment for teaching. And we owe it to every parent the assurance that we are doing everything possible to protect their children."
Aquino also offered his condolences to the families of the three students killed in the Tacloban shooting, and reiterated his commitment to pushing for the swift passage of the School Safety Act.
The Senator has separately pushed back against calls for a blanket ban on violent video games in the wake of the Tacloban shooting, after investigators noted one of the suspects had been an avid player of a game known for graphic violence.
He argued that studies have not established a link between video game use and school shootings, and said game developers should instead be made responsible for monitoring and blocking predatory or harmful users on their platforms — a point he's raised as lawmakers look at the broader range of factors the bill should address.
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Date posted: July 9, 2026 3:23 PM