Assistant City Prosecutor Shelou G. Matti-Go urged La Consolacion College Bacolod personnel to help create safer workplaces and learning environments during a talk at the Personnel Institutional Assembly on Monday, July 13.
Matti-Go discussed Republic Act 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, and Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, emphasizing the responsibilities of educational institutions in preventing and addressing gender-based sexual harassment and bullying.
She explained that gender-based sexual harassment may occur in public spaces, online, in the workplace and in educational institutions. Such acts may include unwanted sexual remarks or advances, sexist or discriminatory comments, cyberstalking, incessant messaging, unauthorized sharing of private content and other conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment.
Matti-Go noted that the Safe Spaces Act covers harassment not only by persons in positions of authority but also between peers and co-workers, as well as acts committed by subordinates against their superiors.
She also highlighted the duty of schools to designate an officer-in-charge to receive complaints and provide victims with a gender-sensitive environment conducive to truth-telling. Confidentiality must be observed throughout the investigation and resolution of complaints.
Victims of workplace gender-based sexual harassment may file an administrative complaint with the institution’s Committee on Decorum and Investigation, or CODI, and may also pursue civil or criminal cases before the appropriate authorities, she said.
The discussion also covered various forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, social, emotional, gender-based and online bullying. Under the Anti-Bullying Act, public and private kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools are required to adopt prevention and intervention policies, reporting mechanisms and procedures for handling incidents.
Matti-Go stressed the importance of immediately stopping bullying, ensuring the victim’s safety, documenting the incident, conducting separate interviews, notifying parents or guardians and referring cases to the school’s Child Protection Committee when necessary.
She also cited the need for school-wide programs that promote respect for individual differences, positive relationships, responsible online behavior and early intervention for students who may be vulnerable to bullying or aggressive behavior.
The presentation reminded school personnel that educational institutions have an obligation not only to provide instruction but also to maintain an environment where students and employees are protected from abuse, harassment, violence and discrimination.
The talk formed part of LCC Bacolod’s Personnel Institutional Assembly, which gathered faculty members, administrators and institutional support personnel in preparation for the new academic year.