Republic Act No. 10627- Anti-Bullying Act of 2013

Republic of the Philippines Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Fifteenth Congress Third Regular Session Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand twelve. [ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10627 ] AN ACT REQUIRING ALL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO ADOPT POLICIES TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS THE ACTS OF BULLYING IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS

SECTION 1.  Short Title . – This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013”.

SEC. 2.  Acts of Bullying . – For purposes of this Act, “bullying” shall refer to any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school; such as, but not limited to, the following: a. Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as weapons; b. Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being; c. Any sl

SEC. 3.  Adoption of Anti-Bullying Policies.  – All elementary and secondary schools are hereby directed to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. Such policies shall be regularly updated and, at a minimum, shall include provisions which: (a) Prohibit the following acts: (1) Bullying on school grounds; property immediately adjacent to school grounds; at school-sponsored or school-related activities, functions or programs whether on or off school grounds; at school bus stops; on school buses or other vehicles owned, leased or used by a school; or through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased or used by a school; (2) Bullying at a location, activity, function or program that is not school-related and through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased or used by a school if the act or acts in question create a hostile environment at school for the victim, infringe on the rights of

SEC. 4.  Mechanisms to Address Bullying . – The school principal or any person who holds a comparable role shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of policies intended to address bullying. Any member of the school administration, student, parent or volunteer shall immediately report any instance of bullying or act of retaliation witnessed, or that has come to one’s attention, to the school principal or school officer or person so designated by the principal to handle such issues, or both. Upon receipt of such a report, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall promptly investigate. If it is determined that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall: (a) Notify the law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against the perpetrator; (b) Take appropriate disciplinary administrati

SEC. 5.  Reporting Requirement.  – All schools shall inform their respective schools division superintendents in writing about the anti-bullying policies formulated within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. Such notification shall likewise be an administrative requirement prior to the operation of new schools. Beginning with the school year after the effectivity of this Act, and every first week of the start of the school year thereafter, schools shall submit a report to their respective schools division superintendents all relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or retaliation. The schools division superintendents shall compile these data and report the same to the Secretary of the DepED who shall likewise formally transmit a comprehensive report to the Committee on Basic Education of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

SEC. 6.  Sanction for Noncompliance . – In the rules and regulations to be implemented pursuant to this Act, the Secretary of the DepED shall prescribe the appropriate administrative sanctions on school administrators who shall fail to comply with the requirements under this Act. In addition thereto, erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to operate.

SEC. 7.  Implementing Rules and Regulations . – Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DepED shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 8.  Separability Clause . – If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force or effect.

SEC. 9.  Repealing Clause . – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10.  Effectivity . – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved, (Sgd.)  JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA Acting Senate President (Sgd.)  FELICIANO BELMONTE JR. Speaker of the House of Representatives This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on June 5, 2013. (Sgd.)  EMMA LIRIO-REYES Secretary of the Senate (Sgd.)  MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP Secretary General House of Representatives Approved: SEP 12 2013 (Sgd.)  BENIGNO S. AQUINO III President of the Philippines