MANILA - A year since the Department of Education (DepEd) established its anti child abuse helpline, more than 1,000 reports of alleged abuses of children have been recorded, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said Monday.

Duterte noted most of the 1,709 complaints reported to the Telesafe Contact Center Hotline involved cases of verbal abuse, followed by sexual abuse and cyberbullying.

“Mayroong tayong mechanisms sa loob ng Department of Education sa loob ng Learners Rights Protection Office na ibinababa natin doon sa school level for resolution iyong reklamo ng mga bata,” Duterte told reporters in Manila.

For “simple cases”, DepEd assesses if the conflict can be resolved between parties.

“Sinisimulan po natin iyan sa dispute resolution, hindi po tayo agad nagpaparusa pinapaintindi po natin na nireresolve natin ang conflict dyan sa loob ng mga paaralan, simple cases of hindi pagkakaintindihan ang ating pong first priority if ipagkasundo ang iyong mga parties,” Duterte said.

For serious offenses, it might lead to the filing of administrative or criminal complaints, according to Duterte.

“Mayroon po kami examples ng mga cases, nagfa-file po tayo ng administrative complaints sa loob ng Department of Education at if the case warrants the filing of a criminal case, lumalapit po tayo sa ating Philippine National Police at nagpapatulong tayo sa pag-file ng kaso. Sinisimulan natin iyan diyan sa dalawa, sa administrative at criminal complaints,” she explained.

For the National Children’s Month, Duterte said that DepEd’s Learner Rights and Protection Office (LRPO) will emphasize further the department’s advocacy of protecting the rights of students and capacitating the teachers to uphold the rights of learners.

This includes strengthening the implementation of the “DepEd Child Protection Policy” as well as Republic Act 11313, or the “Safe Spaces Act”.

“The policy aims to address gender-based sexual harassment in schools, ensuring a safe and positive learning environment free from gender-based violence, especially gender-based sexual harassment that may be committed to our learners, educators, and personnel,” Duterte said.

Due to the “alarming incidents of armed conflicts” that directly affect schools and students, DepEd is also issuing a policy that mandates all teaching and non-teaching personnel of DepEd, as well as other stakeholders and partners, to adhere to the protocols on handling “Children in Situations of Armed Conflict” (CSAC).

“These policies are our commitment to creating an environment for Filipino learners to thrive and live dignified lives,” she said.

“These policies extend beyond our classrooms, necessitating integration into the community—where we expect the support of our partners and education stakeholders,” she added.