THE Philippine Criminologists Association of the Philippines (PCAP) led by president Dr. Gerry Caño is pushing for the training of public school teachers nationwide on campus security and awareness.
In an interview October 1, Caño said that teachers in particular must be trained in behavioral threat spotting among students.
There also need to have wider community participation in securing school grounds.
For one, Caño offered that interns spread out among the 500 criminology colleges nationwide can be tapped as security multipliers throughout elementary and secondary public school complexes and not at just the entrance and exit gates.
“Maraming mga sulok sa mga eskwelahan natin ay nagiging breeding grounds o vulnerability sa possible bullying at possible violence,” Caño said.
He also hinted that PCAP could work with the government particularly the Department of Education (DepEd) in formulating a policy for a comprehensive security measure to address the situation.
Caño said there are 300,000 criminologists in the country who are more than willing to help.
Beyond the criminology circle, Caño suggested that parent-teachers associations (PTAs), military and police retirees and reservists could also help.
Caño lamented that as early as a decade ago, PCAP had already urged DepEd to call a security summit to address vulnerabilities in school facilities nationwide but this has never materialized.
He however welcomed the continued deliberations of Senate Bill 2426 (proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act) which is now on third reading.
A series of school shootings has rocked the Philippines starting with the death of three people in Tacloban City in June followed by another one in Zamboanga City in August and in South Cotabato in September.
