Dahino pushes expanded anti-bullying ordinance in CDO

Councilor Des Dahino is taking up the cudgel to amend the city’s Anti-Bullying Ordinance to broaden its scope and strengthen protections against various forms of bullying.

Dahino pointed out that the existing ordinance, enacted in 2013, primarily focuses on incidents occurring within schools. However, she emphasized that bullying extends beyond the classroom and also occurs within communities and other social spaces.

She proposed expanding the identified acts of bullying to include verbal, social, cyber, identity-based, and retaliatory bullying, in addition to the already recognized physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual forms.

It also introduces provisions addressing workplace bullying and community-based bullying, including incidents occurring in public spaces, homes, online community platforms, and those specifically targeting members of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens.

The proposal likewise underscores the need for closer coordination with barangays to strengthen reporting, intervention, and response mechanisms at the community level.

The proposed amendments received strong support from representatives of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), and the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWD).

Representative from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) also expressed support for the measure but recommended that the police force’s cybercrime unit be invited in succeeding discussions, particularly in relation to cyberbullying cases and online harassment concerns.

They further suggested that, once approved, the ordinance be included in student orientations prior to the opening of classes to increase awareness among learners.

City Councilor Gigi Go supported the proposal and suggested that similar orientations also be conducted in workplaces, particularly for newly hired employees, as part of their onboarding process.

Dahino also shared her intention to engage parents in future discussions and seminars, emphasizing the important role of families in shaping children’s behavior and values formation.

She noted that parents must also be equipped with guidance on fostering respectful and responsible behavior among children.

Meanwhile, the City Legal Office observed that, unlike the current ordinance, the proposed amendments do not yet specify civil and criminal liabilities.

The office recommended that the committee further study possible legal provisions that could strengthen enforcement and give more weight to the legislation.

Dahino welcomed the comments and recommendations raised during the discussion, saying these would help further improve the proposed measure before its finalization. (SPE/SP)