Anti-Bullying Law: What Schools Must Do

Section 2 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". The act must have one of these effects:

• it causes the student, or puts the student in reasonable fear of, physical or emotional harm or damage to property;
• it creates a hostile environment at school for that student;
• it infringes on the student's rights at school; or
• it "materially and substantially" disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of the school.

The Act gives examples. They include unwanted physical contact such as punching, pushing, kicking, slapping and headlocks; slanderous statements or accusations that cause undue emotional distress, such as foul language, name-calling and "commenting negatively on victim's looks, clothes and body"; and cyber-bullying, which it describes as "any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means".

Section 3 binds "All elementary and secondary schools". The 2013 implementing rules (DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2013) apply to all public and private kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools and learning centers. Colleges and universities are not covered, and the law does not cover bullying between adults, because it defines bullying as acts of students against another student.

It can. The school policy must cover bullying on school grounds and nearby places, at school activities, on school buses and through school computers or devices. It must also cover bullying in other places and through a student's own phone or computer "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" (Section 3(a)).

Section 3 lists what every school's anti-bullying policy must contain. Among others, the school must:

• prohibit bullying, and also prohibit retaliation against anyone who reports bullying, gives information in an investigation or is a witness;
• set disciplinary actions that fit the nature and gravity of the offense, plus a rehabilitation program for the student who bullied, which the parents are encouraged to join;
• allow students to report anonymously, but take no disciplinary action "solely on the basis of an anonymous report";
• discipline a student who knowingly makes a false accusation of bullying;
• keep the names of students who bullied strictly confidential, shared only with the school administration, the teachers directly responsible and the parents of the victims;
• give students and parents a copy of the policy, include it in the handbook, and post it on the school walls and website.

Section 4 says any member of the school administration, student, parent or volunteer "shall immediately report" bullying or retaliation to the principal or to the person the principal designates. The principal or designee must investigate promptly. If bullying is found, the principal must take disciplinary action, notify the parents of the student who bullied, and notify the parents of the victim about the action taken. If the principal believes criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued, the law enforcement agency must be notified.

The 2013 implementing rules add details:

• A victim, a bystander, school staff or any person who knows of bullying reports it to the teacher, guidance coordinator or counselor, or to the person designated to handle bullying, and the incident is reported immediately to the school head (Section 10(B)(b)).
• When the situation needs immediate action or the level of threat is high, the school acts within 24 hours from the incident (Section 10(B)(c)).
• The school head notifies the Women and Children's Protection Desk of the local police if criminal charges may be pursued (Section 10(B)(e)).
• Sanctions may range from written reprimand and community service to suspension, exclusion or expulsion, under the school's or the Department's rules, with due process (Section 10(B)(f)).
• The student and parents are told of the complaint in writing, the student may answer in writing, and the decision is in writing with reasons. The school head's decision may be appealed to the Division Office (Section 10(B)(g)).
• Bullying complaints under the rules stay with the Department of Education or the private school and are not brought to the barangay for amicable settlement (Section 10(A)).
• If the bullying caused serious physical injuries or death, the case is handled under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, RA 9344 (Section 10(B)(h)).

The rules shown here are those issued in 2013. Whether the Department of Education later changed them was not checked for this page.

Section 6 is the only sanction in the Act. The Secretary of Education prescribes administrative sanctions on school administrators who fail to comply, and private schools may have their permit to operate suspended. Under the implementing rules, a private school is given notice and 30 days to comply, after which its permit or recognition may be suspended or revoked (Section 14.2).

Yes, under the Civil Code, apart from RA 10627. In Mother Goose Special School System, Inc. v. Spouses Palaganas (2025), a grade school pupil was punched several times by classmates while the teacher was out of the room, and the school did not tell the parents. The Supreme Court held the school liable for damages because it broke its contractual duty as a school "to provide and maintain a safe learning environment for its students". The Court made clear that it was not applying the Anti-Bullying Act, which was not yet in force when the incident happened in 2007.

These are made-up examples to show how the rules work. They are not advice for any real case.

Lito, a Grade 8 student, is mocked about his looks every day in a class group chat by three classmates, using their own phones. The messages are cyber-bullying under Section 2, and they fall under the school policy if they create a hostile environment at school for him (Section 3(a)). Lito or any classmate who saw the messages can report to a teacher or the guidance counselor.

Bea reports that a classmate pushed her during recess. The next day, the classmate's friends threaten her for reporting. The threats are retaliation, which the school policy must prohibit separately from the pushing (Section 3(a)).

Bullying is reported to the school under its policy, and the Act does not require a lawyer for a report. Talk to a lawyer if the bullying caused injuries, if you are thinking of a damages case against a school or the families involved, if a criminal complaint under another law is being considered, or if a student faces expulsion. If the bullying happened online and involves public posts, see also Cyber libel for a Facebook post and Penalties for physical injuries.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, see Free legal help in the Philippines.