Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) called for tighter school security, stronger mental health support, and closer coordination among authorities following recent incidents involving students in Negros and Tacloban.
In a statement issued Monday, June 29, Benitez cited the stabbing of a student outside a school in San Carlos City and the alarming online messages involving students in Escalante City.
He said some families in Escalante and Toboso had kept their children at home because of fears raised by the messages circulating online.
Benitez also expressed solidarity with the families affected by the recent school shooting in Tacloban City.
He said his office is coordinating with police, the Department of Education, schools, and local governments to help ensure the safety of learners.
Benitez urged the public to immediately report threatening or alarming online messages to school authorities or police.
He also appealed against sharing the names and screenshots of minors in ways that could expose their identities online.
Benitez said banning violent video games alone would not make schools safer.
He noted that police linked the San Carlos stabbing to a personal grudge and not to a video game.
“The danger online is that predators find the lonely and the hurting in these spaces while our systems are too slow to stop them,” Benitez said.
He called for the secure storage of firearms in communities, more guidance counselors and mental health support in schools, controlled campus entry, and trained personnel.
Benitez also proposed equipping schools with metal detectors and bag scanners and strengthening coordination among local governments, police, and DepEd.
He said the issue would also be raised in Congress, including through his work involving technology and the creative industries, with emphasis on protecting children online.
Benitez said the immediate priority for school communities is to reduce fear and provide solutions that would make students feel safe.*
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