Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for a bill that seeks to implement tighter security measures in colleges and universities nationwide following the rescue of a 19-year-old college student who was reportedly kidnapped by his fellow students.
Angara said the incident underscores the need for schools to shore up and reassess security procedures to ensure the safety of students and everyone else in the campus.
“School safety is becoming a greater concern nowadays. Kailangang magkaroon tayo ng mga batas na sisiguro sa kaligtasan ng mga paaralan dahil ito ay institusyon para sa edukasyon at kalinangan ng mga kabataan at hindi para sa karahasan,” the seasoned legislator said.
In order to institutionalize campus security measures, the veteran lawmaker has filed Senate Bill 946 mandating all higher education institutions and technical vocational institutions to establish a crime prevention committee to formulate policies and strategies that would help protect the academic community from both internal and external threats to their safety and security, such as kidnapping, robbery, rape and other forms of violence.
The proposed measure calls for the formulation of policies that encourage students and employees to be responsible in the accurate and prompt reporting of all campus crimes to the police.
Angara’s bill calls for the formulation of policies that encourage students and employees to be responsible in the accurate and prompt reporting of all campus crimes to the police.
“Schools should be conducive to learning and intellectual discourse, not venues for violence and crime. We must ensure a safe and secure environment for students to pursue their studies within these institutions without fear for their physical well-being,” the senator said.
“We must ensure a safe and secure environment for students to pursue their studies within these institutions without fear for their physical well-being.”
Under the bill, there should also be monitoring and recording, through local police agencies, of criminal activities committed even by off-campus student organizations whose members are students of the institution.
The conduct of seminars and trainings on crime and drug prevention and control, in coordination with the National Police Commission’s regional office or the Department of Interior and Local Government, will also be recommended to the college or university.
