DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 3 April)—Almost a year after the Anti-Bullying Ordinance here was approved by the City Council, its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) have yet to be finalized.
“There are provisions in the ordinance which seem too similar to other national laws, while other parts are being planned to be transferred to its IRR as these are too specific to be included in the ordinance,” said Councilor Enzo Villafuerte, author of the ordinance who also chairs the committee on civil, political and human rights, told the media during the Aprubado sa Konseho press conference at the Sangguniang Panlungsod here Tuesday morning.
The Anti-Bullying Ordinance was approved on April 13, 2023 with 17 affirmative votes, two negative, and one abstention.
It meant to synchronize with the national government’s policy under Republic Act No. 10627, known as Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, which declares “acts of bullying as unacceptable,” and Republic Act No. 11313, also known as Safe Spaces Act, where both men and women must be safe and secure in public and private spaces, online, workplaces, and educational institutions.
Villafuerte said that the ordinance is still with the City Legal Office “as they want that bullying definition should not be similar for minors and for adults.”
He said the City Legal Office told him that bullying among minors and adults must be defined separately. It also said that there are some provisions “that might be abused,” thus, bullying must be defined “severe enough and that it has to have … effect on the mental state of the worker or employee.”
The approved ordinance also stated the formation of a City Anti-Bullying Council to establish policies related to bullying, including formulation of necessary education, prevention, counseling and intervention measures.
It also stated that City Anti-Bullying Desks (CABD) will be created once the ordinance will push through. The CABDs shall oversee the other Anti-Bullying Desks in barangays and district centers and be tasked to receive complaints of bullying in the city, and will be empowered to forward cases to the proper entities. Fines and penalties await non-followers of the ordinance, but it needs to be finalized as well, said Villafuerte. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
