MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla is pushing for an early passage of a measure prohibiting bullying in all establishments and offices, whether in government or in private.

Revilla filed Senate Bill 1217, to be known as “Anti-Office Bullying Act of 2019,”  which seeks to require all government and non-government offices and establishments to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in places of work.

The senator noted that while Congress has already banned bullying in schools, it has yet to enact a similar law covering private and government offices.

“These kinds of acts hamper peace and tranquility in a professional environment and disrupt the delivery of services to the public,” Revilla said.

Republic Act No. 10627 of 2013, or “An Act Requiring all Elementary and Secondary Schools to Adopt Policies to Prevent and Address the Acts of Bullying in their Institutions,” defined bullying as “any severe or repeated use … of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another… that has the effect of actually causing or placing the person in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his/her property.”

Acts of bullying include actual physical harm, foul language, name-calling, harassment on the internet, commenting negatively on one’s looks, clothes or body, spreading rumors, preventing access to the workplace and abusive behavior.

Once passed into law, the measure will put to task the Department of Labor and Employment and the Civil Service Commission to prescribe the appropriate sanctions for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act. (STACY  ANG/IAMIGO/Currentph.com)