By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
THE junior high school student caught on video bullying another student in the comfort room has been dismissed by Ateneo de Manila University.
The decision was announced yesterday by Ateneo President Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, who posted it on the university’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts.
In the one-page decision, Villarin said the unnamed student said the decision was arrived at after a thorough investigation that included listening to all parties involved.
“The Ateneo is very clear on its stand against bullying,” Villarin said.
“There are already policies and processes codified in the Student Handbook, all in accord with existing legislation, but we still need to ensure that these policies and processes as well as the values they promote are internalized by all members of the community,” he added.
Villarin also announced the creation of a task force to conduct a “comprehensive study” of the current situation as well as to audit present measures and systems with regards to bullying.
The formation of the task force also hopes to recommend to administration on how to make the university a safer and bully-free environment.
“Such an environment shall prevent a culture of silence from harming out student and encourage everyone to speak up against bullying and other forms of misconduct,” Villarin said.
Villarin also asked the public to not be part of the bullying, specifically on social media, reiterating by “refusing to add fuel to the fire and helping our children and one another heal.”
“We can summon the courage to stop fighting one another,” Villarin said.
The video went viral and elicited a hailstorm of protests from netizens here and abroad.
It showed the junior high school student taunting and then punching another student inside the school’s comfort room.
A few hours after it went viral online, other videos of the same student bullying other students also surfaced.
REVIEW OF ANTI-BULLYING LAW
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe on Sunday said she is keen on initiating a review of the current Anti-Bullying Act saying the current law is giving school administrators “too much” discretion on when to act on cases of bullying.
Poe said she would soon file a resolution to hear out concerned stakeholders in a bid to review and amend the law.
“There is an Anti-Bullying law in place. However, we believe it should be strengthened to require concrete and timely action from schools,” said Poe, who is vice-chair of the Senate committee on public order.
Poe said the bullying incident involving high school students at the Ateneo Junior High School shows the need to revisit the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to fill in some gaps as to the role of the schools in dealing with actual cases.
She said the unfortunate incident should serve as a wake-up call for legislators to examine the law and plug the gaps to make it truly responsive to the problem of bullying.
“Anyone who has seen the video of the violent bullying incident would understand that bullying is a despicable act that insults our humanity,” she said. (with a report from Hannah Torregoza)