A DAVAO City councilor said that they are still waiting for the decision from the City Legal Office to differentiate the terms of bullying for adults and children in the Anti-Bullying Ordinance of Davao City.
Councilor Lorenzo Villafuerte, chairperson of the committee on civil, political and human rights (CCCPHR), revealed this during the Aprobado sa Konseho, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“Early last year, napasa nato ang (we passed the) anti-bullying ordinance of Davao City. And ang updates nato karon is naa pa didto sa City Legal Office kay dili nila gusto nga same ang definition sa bullying sa minors ug bullying sa age of majority (And our update today is it is still in the City Legal Office because they don't want the definition of bullying of minors and bullying of the age of majority to be the same),” he said.
“Ang mga minors are very simple ang types of bullying, medyo physical. For bullying of the age of majority, you can say that insidious type of bullying. Pinaka-common form of bullying sa adults in workplace, kanang maghimo kag mali nga istorya sa imong ka-worker (The types of bullying in minors are very simple, sometimes it is physical. For bullying of the majority, you can say that it is an insidious type of bullying. The most common form of bullying in adults is in the workplace when they make fake stories about their co-workers),” he continued.
The ordinance aims to assess the prevalence of bullying in Davao City and develop future programs to reduce the number of minors and adults affected. It also aims to address and prevent bullying in schools, workplaces, and other public places. The ordinance will also penalize establishments that continue to allow bullying to occur under their jurisdiction.
“So, we’re still discussing on how to approve ug ma-sign-nan na sa City Legal and ma-sign-nan ni mayor (it will be signed by the city legal and the mayor). Di man ko nagadali ani kay gusto nato nga gwapo ang atong ordinance (I am not in a hurry because we want our ordinance to be good),” he said.
Villafuerte clarified that the ordinance is consistent and complementary with other agencies and even other national laws.
To recall, the ordinance was passed on its third and final reading in April 2023, with 17 affirmative votes, two negative, and one abstention. Niel Ayala Otacan, DNSC Intern
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