June 19, 2026 – Bullying continues to be a major concern among students in the city, according to Baguio City Police Director P Col Ruel Tagel.
Although no data on bullying cases were presented, Tagel said the BCPO continues to be actively involved in addressing the problem in schools.
He said they have been in constant coordination with schools and other government offices signifying their readiness to provide assistance and direction in bullying cases.
He said the information campaign also continues through a series of lectures to educate children on protecting themselves from being victims of bullying both online and offline.
Anti-bullying measures are in place to deter said crime in academic institutions.
Bullying is prohibited under Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 and City Ordinance No. 59 series of 2017 or the Anti-Bullying Ordinance of Baguio City.
R.A. 10627 mandates public and private schools to implement anti-bullying policies, conduct awareness programs, and establish mechanisms for reporting and addressing bullying incidents including possible administrative and disciplinary actions that schools can impose.
In the Department of Education Order No. 55 series of 2013 which provides the Implementing Rules and Regulation of R.A. No. 10627, various bullying prevention and intervention programs were provided to be adopted by the schools.
While R.A. 10627 does not impose direct criminal sanctions on students for bullying, City Ordinance No. 59-2017 does with penalties of imprisonment of three to six months and a fine of P5,000 for students “who are not criminally exempted from liability and who committed acts of bullying against another student.
For schools, universities or colleges that “grossly neglect and fully fail to act on any complaint of bullying committed by their student or on acts of bullying committed inside their school premises,” a penalty of one-month imprisonment and a fine of P5,000 will be imposed upon the school president, school administrator and members of the board.
The same punishment awaits school personnel, parents/guardians or students not criminally exempted if they are found guilty of instigating, initiating or bringing about acts of bullying among students.
Stiffer sanctions of three-month imprisonment and P5,000 fine are in store for those who “willfully and feloniously omit to report any bullying witnessed while six-month imprisonment and P5,000 fine hang upon the heads of persons who will be caught fabricating allegations of acts of bullying.
In the ordinance, the acts of bullying were defined as follows:
Cyber-bullying “refers to any acts of bullying which results in harassment, intimidation or humiliation through electronic means or other technology, such as, but not limited to texting, email, instant messaging, chatting, internet, social networking websites or other platforms or formats as per Department of Education Order No. 40 series of 2012.”
Emotional bullying “is manifested through repeated name calling, ignoring a student intentionally, students whispering amongst themselves in front of another student, keeping secrets away from a ‘friend,’ eye-rolling, embarrassing another student based on religion, physical appearance and financial status and silent but hurtful body motions like pointing, signing dirty fingers or face-making. It also includes shouting slanderous statements, directing foul language and profanity and harassing and provoking victims; and
Physical bullying “refers to punching, pushing, showing, kicking, slapping, tinkering, headlocks, school pranks, teasing, fighting and using available weapons, and all other unwanted, sudden physical contact between a bully and a victim leaving the latter defenseless” while psychological bullying “refers to any acts of causing psychological or emotional damage to any pupil or student or learner because of spreading malicious and nasty rumors about them. It includes the experience of being excluded from a group or ‘ganged-up on” and sexual bullying is the physical touching of “the private parts like legs, breasts, buttocks, or genitals of the student.” ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
