CHED alarmed by rash of violence in schools

MANILA, Philippines - The rash of violence against students and officials of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country is becoming more “disturbing,” Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan said.

Unfortunately, CHED could do nothing about it since law enforcement agencies have the responsibility to maintain peace and order.

“The violence is disturbing. Obviously, education institutions are not spared from the violence in society,” Licuanan said Friday.

“Sadly, there is little CHED can do directly about these crimes,” she said.

However, Licuanan said school administrators and the hundreds, if not, thousands of educators in higher education institutions could intensify their efforts to build the values and character of their students to become law-abiding citizens.

“Our institutions simply have to become better ‘laboratories’ of the values we want in society. It’s a tough job,” she said.

Licuanan was commenting on the recent killing of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) vice president Augustus Cezar, who was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in Sta. Mesa, Manila on Wednesday night.

Licuanan also pointed out the other heinous crimes that took place recently where college students were victims, the latest of which was the rape-slay of Given Grace Cebanico, a BS computer science student of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB).

The rape-slay of Cebanico last Tuesday echoed the infamous 1993 rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta as well as the killing of her boyfriend Allan Gomez, both UPLB students.

A recent study by a non-governmental group revealed the increasing incidents of violence in schools, even on children at the elementary and high school level.

Most students fell victim to corporal punishment, bullying, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, harassment and peer-to-peer violence, according to Plan Philippines.

A recent study of the group showed that at least five out of 10 children in grades 1 to 3; seven out of 10 in grades 4 to 6 and six out of 10 high school students have experienced violence in schools.

The study also noted aggression comes more from their peers and classmates rather than from adults.

A high school student was killed in July 2007 in a brawl with a fellow student during a flag ceremony in Cauayan City, Isabela.

It was later learned that the victim and the suspect had been at odds because of disputes over basketball and billiards games.

There is also a number of fraternity-related violence erupting even in state schools like the University of the Philippines. Three most notable incidents involved the fraternities Sigma Rho and Scintilla Juris in 1994 where several students died during a riot.

In February 1999, a student was shot dead after being mistaken to be a rival fraternity member.

There are also a number of students who died from initiation-related hazing incidents.

Vice President Jejomar Binay had remarked that “violence was forthcoming” in the murder of PUP vice president Cezar.

Binay, along with Licuanan and other top CHED officials, visited the wake and denounced the murder of Cezar.

He believed that Cezar’s death was related to the upcoming selection of PUP president.

“Universities are institutions for learning. They should be insulated from any form of violence,” Binay said during Cezar’s wake Friday.

For his part, Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino said schools have to review their security measures.

“As we condole with the family and friends of the victims and tirelessly seek justice for them, there is also pressing need for schools all over the country to review and fortify their security and safety measures to ensure that crimes within the school campus and its vicinity will be prevented,” Palatino said.

Palatino, however, clarified that while the two incidents should prompt schools to secure their campuses, they should do so within “democratic bounds” and not resort to repressive measures like militarization and excessive police presence.

Palatino proposed schools should ensure a sufficient number of security personnel are stationed at entry-exit points while others are doing constant, alert rounds within campus and its vicinity especially at night and early morning.

He added schools should also ensure that basic infrastructures and facilities are in place, such as streetlights, secure and defined pathways and round-the-clock grievance/crisis desk.

Palatino said schools should take time to enjoin all members of the academic community in conducting safety and security awareness activities at least once every semester.

“School safety and security today should not only be about locking the gates and closing the windows; it should mean the collective and rational efforts shared by all members of the community to protect each other from harm,” he said.

Palatino said CHED should also help in promoting safety and security measures among all schools.

Palatino also urged the government to increase funding for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) given the lack of resources to build and improve infrastructures for security and safety.