Sherwin Gatchalian pushes school safety bill after South Cotabato shooting

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Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday called for the passage of legislation to strengthen school safety plans and policies following the latest school shooting incident in South Cotabato.

Gatchalian co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 2426, or the Comprehensive School Safety Act, which seeks to establish a National Comprehensive School Safety Framework.

“The Department of Education, in coordination with various government agencies, including local government units, shall lead in establishing, maintaining, and periodically updating this framework,” Gatchalian said.

The framework “shall prescribe standards for the prevention of, response to, and recovery from threats and incidents relating to school safety,” he added.

According to Gatchalian, the proposed measure would require schools to:

• develop and annually update a School Safety Plan to localize and operationalize the school safety framework;
• prepare and regularly update a School Safety Handbook outlining policies, procedures, emergency information and learner support services; and
• include the School Code of Conduct in the School Safety Handbook to clearly define unacceptable acts, as well as corresponding disciplinary and restorative interventions.

Gatchalian said recent threats underscored the need for authorities to adopt a proactive approach aimed at preventing incidents before they turn fatal.

“A reactive response is not enough. We need to be proactive—identify threats, stop incidents before they happen, and ensure that every school is safe,” Gatchalian said.

The latest shooting incident occurred at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday, leaving three students dead, including the Grade 9 student identified as the shooter. — MCG, GMA News