Schools urged to update students on community's crime situation

MANILA, Philippines - All schools will soon be mandated to post updates on the crime situation in their localities once Crime Awareness for Schools, Colleges and Universities Act passes into law.

Under House Bill 43, authored by A Teacher party-list Reps. Mariano Piamonte, Jr. and Julieta Cortuna, schools will be required to post in their campuses the crime situation in the community at five conspicuous places five days before the start of every enrolment period.

The school administrator will be tasked to inform the police station commander with the jurisdiction over the area at least 30 days before the enrolment.

The commander shall respond within 15 days with the signed copy of the updated crime rate and condition in the area, with information on the crimes committed, date and place of the crime, the status of the case and the names of the convicted offenders.

“With news about students, teachers, school administrators being murdered, bullied, mugged, raped, and generally transgressed upon, it is high time for us to seriously consider what we, as lawmakers, can do to keep them prepared and alert inside the school campus,” Piamonte said.

He said the information is intended to make the educational institutions vigilant and aware of their own safety.

“It is the right of every Filipino to be informed of the situations, current and otherwise, that involve the safety and security of those in the school premises, a vital information that everybody deserves,” he added.

For her part, Cortuna said "although it is given that the police should protect and serve, without any condition and limitation, we can never deny the fact that sometimes, the police fall short in some aspects.”