Senator Bam Aquino is spearheading a Senate inquiry to overhaul national school safety protocols, declaring that educational institutions must return to being sanctuaries and not sites of survival.
Grief has gripped the nation following two separate devastating incidents this June, the off-campus drowning of Ateneo basketball players Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili on June 8th, and the recent fatal school shooting that claimed three students and injured 20 others at San Jose National High School.
Two minors involved in the shooting incident were able to sneak in guns inside the school premises.
Aquino, Chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education is now pushing for a joint investigation by the Committees on Basic Education and Justice to uncover the truth and hold institutions accountable.
“Dalawang atleta ng Ateneo De Manila University Men’s Basketball team – sina Rene Clert Baterbonia at Divine Adili – ang binawian ng buhay sa isang off-campus activity sa Aurora. Hinihiling po namin, na atasan ang Committee on Basic Education at Committee on Justice, na isagawa ang isang pagdinig at pagsiyasat ukol sa trahedyang ito. Para po sa katarungan. Para po sa kaligtasan. Para po sa ating kabataan. At siyempre po, para kay Rene at Divine,” he said.
But the senator’s fight for student welfare doesn’t end with off-campus activities. Addressing the horrifying shooting in Tacloban City, he raised urgent red flags about basic campus security.
He argues that these tragedies expose fatal flaws in current security protocols, flaws he intends to fix through the comprehensive Safer Schools Act.
“Unang-una nakikiramay tayo sa magulang, sa mga nagmamahal dun sa batang namatay, at sa lahat ng nasaktan sa San Jose National High School. Kailangan yung mga eskwelahan natin, mga lugar na ligtas at hindi mga espasyo ng takot at karahasan,” he said.
Aquino’s proposed investigation aims to examine the oversight mechanisms of both the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He intends to scrutinize sports safety standards and school security protocols, including how minors could gain access to firearms.
“Kailangan malaman rin natin kung paano nakapasok yung mga armas, mga kutsilyo, mga baril. Hindi dapat yan nakakapasok sa mga eskwelahan natin. Dun sa aming komite, tinatalakay namin yung School Safety Act… isasama na rin namin yung pagtalakay nitong nangyaring shooting, at kung paano ito matitigil, at kung paano magiging ligtas yung ating mga eskwelahan,” Aquino said.
He is challenging both the government and educational institutions to implement radical, lasting changes to ensure that every student can walk through a school gate without fearing for their life.
Finally, he believes that the proposed Safer Schools Act is shaping up to be a landmark piece of legislationthat aims to completely overhaul athletic regulations, off-campus safety, and daily campus security.
“Mahalaga na hindi to maulit muli. Hindi gaya ng mga ibang bansa, na pangkaraniwan ang mga school shooting. Sa ating bansa, hindi po acceptable na mangyari ito,” he said.
