She Said

Tough

By Dinah S. Ventura

One of my favorite stories is about a smart young man who, when he was 13 years old and a new student in a foreign school, stood up to bullies by pandering to their prejudices.

As one of very few Asians in that American school, he faced the roughnecks head-on and told them that if they did not leave them alone, he would karate chop them to death. He did not know karate, of course, but hoped those who were trying to browbeat him would be just as ignorant as their bullying made them appear. True enough, they left him alone to enjoy high school in peace.

Today, bullying is recognized as one of the major problems in schools, not just in the US, but apparently also here in peace-loving Philippines.

These days, there seems to be more and more stories of gun-toting persons who actually whip out their weapons and point them at young and helpless individuals, those they can clearly overpower with impunity.

Bullying incidents are coming out of the woodwork now that the horrific experiences of a student at a prestigious school has come out in the news. In fact, the Department of Education is so concerned about it that it has promised to “monitor violence against students inside the campus through the implementation of its Child Protection Policy (CPC),” to quote DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro in a news report recently.

The CPC, which was launched last May, forbids “child abuse, discrimination against children, child exploitation, violence against children in school, corporal punishment; any analogous or similar acts; and bullying or peer abuse,” the same report stated.

Data from the DepEd supported the need for the CPC as, report said, “as of August 2010 to May 2012, a total of 112 cases of child abuse and related complaints have been referred to Central Office. Topping the list is the National Capital Region (NCR) with 59; Region IV-A with 22; Region VII with 5; Regions I, III and IX with 4; Region IV- with 3; Region XII with 2; CAR, VI, X, XI and XIII with 1. Region V received no complaint of bullying.”

“The guidelines aim to protect the child from all forms of violence that may be inflicted by adults, persons of authority, as well as their fellow students, including bullying,” Luistro is also reported as saying.

What happened to Jaime Garcia of the Colegio de San Agustin (CSA) is a glaring example of the kind of situations students today are vulnerable to. How the proper authorities deal with this matter will reflect our society’s attitude toward this very real social problem. All the complaints and tongue-wagging that resulted from that bit of news about the irate father practically attacking a classmate of his son within school premises won’t matter if nothing comes out of it in the end.

Many have already cried foul; others have wondered aloud how justice can be served in this case. As it is, the alleged bullying father of the alleged school bully is probably going about his usual business, albeit with revoked gun licenses.

Is this, as that new cable show is called, “the new normal”? Do we now have a society that looks the other way when it witnesses an abuse? Have we become so inured we no longer feel anything when injustice is committed in front of our eyes?

The suspect in that CSA incident, Alan Bantiles, reportedly slapped the student, Garcia, after the latter confessed that he had, indeed, punched his son. He did not bother to find out that it was a matter of retaliation from constant bullying by Bantiles’s son, reports say. Bantiles did not bother to dig out the facts before flying into a rage in the school’s faculty office.

Other reports note that Bantiles’s son and bodyguard were there when the slapping and gun-poking happened. One faculty member reportedly intervened and thus prevented blood from being spilled. One can only wonder if his son appreciated his dad’s avenging mode and succeeding behavior or what further lessons in conduct and morality father may have relayed to his son in the process.

The school’s alleged lukewarm reaction to this disturbing Aug. 30 incident has also met some criticism, especially from parents who rely on schools to look out for their children’s welfare while they are under their roof.

The CSA, meanwhile, has reportedly “imposed stricter security measures” and “banned Bantiles in its premises.”

Much curiosity has been raised from reports stating that the Bantiles, a construction contractor and a resident of ...Quezon City, is a licensed owner of two pistols — a Glock 9 mm and a caliber .45.” As a contractor, one must face so much threats to one’s life to necessitate a bodyguard and ownership of arms. Or maybe it is the man’s disposition that necessitates the latter?

The case may be inching along, but overall, the incident has opened up the public’s eyes to widespread bullying — and not just in campus, if Sen. Trillanes’s accusations are to be believed.

It is up to us as individuals and as a society to deal with bullying, which can take many different forms. The name-calling or mudslinging that we see so much of in politics is a form of bullying. Extortion practices is another way of exerting power over someone. There is even a new term called “cyberbullying,” where the intimidation is done using the Internet, mobile phones and social media.

Perhaps, as the brilliant man at the beginning in my story did, and as Garcia did by standing up for himself and talking about his unfortunate experiences, what we are supposed to learn from all these is to quit being victims and muster up the courage to face challenges, no matter how difficult they may appear.