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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
397 
S. No. ~-""'-"'--"---
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A safe school environment is necessary for students to learn and achieve. Student 
development is hampered when there are incidents of violence, harassment, and fear among 
students, most exemplified in cases of bullying. Bullying causes physical, psychological, and 
emotional harm to students and interferes with students' ability to learn and participate in school 
activities. It has also been linked to other forms of anti-social behavior such as vandalism, 
shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, fighting, using drugs and alcohol, sexual 
harassment, and sexual violence. 
A new form of bullying is fast emerging with the advancements of technology. Cyber-
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bullying happens in a realm where state power is weak and where very few laws are passed for 
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regulation. 
This bill mandates schools to create a policy to address the existence of bullying and 
cyber-bullying in their respective institutions. When there is institutional recognition of this 
power imbalance among students, there will be more and better venues to address incidents of 
bullying. This also seeks to instill the importance of anti-bullying measures in academic 
institutions and among school administrators. 
A direct correlation with the reduction of bullying incidents is the increase in awareness 
and concern among school administrators of these incidents, and the positive action of providing 
venues for parents, faculty, and school officials to report such incidents to the authorities. The 
quest for equality among persons and the advancement of human rights start from basic 


education. Children learn the values of cura personalis and being men and women for others 
from their teachers and apply what they have learned to their classmates and friends.! 
Lw", 4~ . 
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~IAM DEF~SOR SA-NTIAfO 
I This bill was originally filed during the Fifteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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JUL""\ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
MANDATING SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND UNIVERSITIES TO CREATE 
ANTI-BULLYING POLICIES IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title, - This Act shall be known as "Anti-Bullying School Policy 
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Act." 
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SECTION '2. Definition of Bullying. - Bullying is committed when a minor student 
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commits a series of two or more acts directed towards another minor student, or a series of single 
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acts directed towards several minor students in a school setting or a place of learning, with the 
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intent to constitute harassment, intimidation, force or humiliation. Such acts consist of any or 
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more of the following: 
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a. 
Threats to a person with the infliction upon the person, honor or property of the 
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person or of his family or any wrong; 
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b. 
Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a person in his daily activities with 
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unwanted, obsessive attention; 
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c. 
Theft; 
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d. 
Public humiliation or public and malicious imputation of a crime or of a vice of 
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defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance 
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tending to cause the dishonor, discredit or contempt against a person; 
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e. 
Deliberate destruction, defacement or damage of another's property; 
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f. 
Physical violence committed upon a minor student, which mayor may not result to 
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harm or injury, with or without the aid of a weapon. Such violence lIjay be in the 
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form of mauling, hitting, punching, kicking, throwing things at a student, pinching, 
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spanking, or other similar acts; 
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g. 
Demanding, requesting or requiring sexual or monetary favors, or demands property 
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from a minor student; and 
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h. 
Restraining the liberty and freedom of a minor student. 
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SECTION 3. Cyber-bul!ying. - Cyber-bullying is any conduct defined in Section 2 of this 
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Act which are made through electronic devices such as, bust are not limited to texting, instant 
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messaging, chatting, Internet and social networking websites. For purposes of this Act, the 
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phrase "acts of bullying" shall include the acts enumerated under Section 2 and Cyber-bullying 
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as defined under this Section. 
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SECTION 4. School Policy. - All schools, colleges or universities, whether public or 
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private, shall create a policy to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. 
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Such policy shall include but is not limited to the following provisions: 
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a. Process for addressing incidents of bullying in school; 
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b. Anonymous reporting of acts of bullying to teachers and school administrators, which 
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shall not, by itself, be a ground for disciplinary action; 
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c. Remedy which allows parents or guardians of students to file written reports of 
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suspected bullying; 
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d. Provisions requiring teachers and other school staff who witnessed acts of bullying or 
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received report of bullying to report the same to school administration; 
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e. Provisions requiring school administrators to investigate any reports on acts of 
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bullying; 
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f. 
Inclusion of language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying; 
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g. Notification of parents or guardians of students who committed or are victims of acts 
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of bullying; and 
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h. Maintenance of a public record of relevant information and statistics on acts of 
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bullying in school, provided that the names of students who committed acts of 
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bullying shall be only made available to the school administration, teachers directly 
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responsible for the said students and parents or guardians of students who are or have 
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been victims of acts of bullying. 
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SECTION 5. Submission of Policy. - Anti-bullying policies created pursuant to Sections 
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4 and 5 of this Act shall be submitted to the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on 
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Higher Education (CHED), or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
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(TESDA), as may be applicable, within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act for 
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existing schools, colleges, and universities, and shall be an administrative requirement prior to 
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the operation of new schools, colleges, and universities. 
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SECTION 6. Liability of School Administration. - The DepEd, CHED, and TESDA shall 
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provide for sanctions to school administrations who fail to comply with the requirements of this 
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Act. 
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SECTION 7. Extra-institutional Recourse. - The DepEd, CHED, and TESDA shall also 
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provide for recourse to students who are victims of acts of bullying andlor their parents or 
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guardians to compel the school administration to act on their complaints on acts of bullying. 
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SECTION 8. Other Offenses Punishable by Law. - This Act shall be without prejudice to 
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other criminal, civil, or administrative remedies provided by law and shall not prevent the 
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victims from availing of the same independent of the remedies provided for in this Act. 
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SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is 
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declared to be ullconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not 
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affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
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SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or 
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parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or 
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modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
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following its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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