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Anti-Bullying Act of 2013

Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, signed by

then-President Benigno Aquino III, mandates all elementary and
secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts
of bullying in their institutions.

The law defines bullying as "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.

Acts considered as bullying include:

 Unwanted physical contact

 Any act that causes damage to a victim's psyche and/or
emotional well-being
 slander
 cyber-bullying
 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

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Bullying Act of 2013".

Section 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 slanderous statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional
distress like directing foul language or profanity at the target, name-calling, tormenting
and commenting negatively on victim’s looks, clothes and body; and

d. Cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic
means.

Section 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 the victim at school,
or materially and substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly
operation of a school; and

(3) Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, who provides information
during an investigation of bullying, or who is a witness to or has reliable
information about bullying;

(b) Identify the range of disciplinary administrative actions that may be taken against a
perpetrator for bullying or retaliation which shall be commensurate with the nature and
gravity of the offense: Provided, That, in addition to the disciplinary sanctions imposed
upon a perpetrator of bullying or retaliation, he/she shall also be required to undergo a
rehabilitation program which shall be administered by the institution concerned. The
parents of the said perpetrator shall be encouraged by the said institution to join the
rehabilitation program;

(c) Establish clear procedures and strategies for:

(1) Reporting acts of bullying or retaliation;

(2) Responding promptly to and investigating reports of bullying or retaliation;

(3) Restoring a sense of safety for a victim and assessing the student’s need for
protection;

(4) Protecting from bullying or retaliation of a person who reports acts of bullying,
provides information during an investigation of bullying, or is witness to or has
reliable information about an act of bullying; and

(5) Providing counseling or referral to appropriate services for perpetrators,

victims and appropriate family members of said students;

(d) Enable students to anonymously report bullying or retaliation: Provided, however,

That no disciplinary administrative action shall be taken against a perpetrator solely on
the basis of an anonymous report;

(e) Subject a student who knowingly makes a false accusation of bullying to disciplinary
administrative action;

(f) Educate students on the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying policies of the school
as well as the mechanisms of such school for the anonymous reporting of acts of bullying
or retaliation;

(g) Educate parents and guardians about the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying
policies of the school and how parents and guardians can provide support and reinforce
such policies at home; and

(h) Maintain a public record of relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or
retaliation in school: Provided, That the names of students who committed acts of
bullying or retaliation shall be strictly confidential and only made available to the school
administration, teachers directly responsible for the said students and parents or
guardians of students who are or have been victims of acts of bullying or retaliation.
All elementary and secondary schools shall provide students and their parents or guardians a
copy of the anti-bullying policies being adopted by the school. Such policies shall likewise be
included in the school’s student and/or employee handbook and shall be conspicuously posted
on the school walls and website, if there is any.

The Department of Education (DepED) shall include in its training programs, courses or activities
which shall provide opportunities for school administrators, teachers and other employees to
develop their knowledge and skills in preventing or responding to any bullying act.

Section 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 administrative action;

(c) Notify the parents or guardians of the perpetrator; and

(d) Notify the parents or guardians of the victim regarding the action taken to prevent any
further acts of bullying or retaliation.

If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from more than one school, the school
first informed of the bullying or retaliation shall promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the
other school so that both may take appropriate action.

Section 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.

Section 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. 1âw phi 1

Section 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.
Section 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.

Section 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.

Section 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 (Sgd.) FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.

Acting Senate President 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 (Sgd.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP

Secretary of the Senate Secretary General
House of Representatives

Approved: SEP 12 2013

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President of the Philippines