MANILA — Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Sunday expressed support to the campaign against bullying and called on school officials to establish measures to eliminate the unwanted and aggressive behavior.
Speaking to reporters at the Pasig Sports Complex, Go said he pities children who lose the enthusiasm to go to school for fear of being bullied.
“Dapat protektado ng eskwelahan ang mga estudyante(Schools should protect their students),” he said, adding that he would speak with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones on how to strengthen measures against bullying in schools.
He also advised student-victims of bullying not to be afraid to seek help from their teachers, principals and other school authorities.
Go also called on the bullies to put themselves in the shoes of their victims and realize its negative effects.
“Maawa kayo sa mga kapwa ninyong estudyante. Maging fair tayo sa mga kaklase natin lalo na ang mga maliliit. Kawawa naman sila kung titigil sila sa pag-aaral dahil lang sa inyo. Kung kayo kaya, magiging masaya ba kayo kung gawin sa inyo iyan (Have mercy on your classmates, let’s be fair to them especially the little ones who are pitiful because they will stop attending school just because of you. Would you be happy if you are the ones bullied?),” he said.
Instead of intimidating their classmates, Go encouraged the bullies to make friends with all of them and make it their mission to help everyone.
Go also urged parents to teach their kids how to respect their classmates at all times so as to prevent the increase of bullying cases in schools.
Teaching respect to children starts in the family, Go added.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara last week called on DepEd to ensure that all schools are conducting prevention and intervention programs to address bullying in the wake of almost a hundred incidents of bullying reported in schools daily.
DepEd, for its part, emphasized its commitment to promoting a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe and motivating environment for all learners. It also stressed its zero tolerance on cases of child abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse. (Ma. Teresa MontemayorPNA)
