CAGAYAN de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez filed a measure that aims to create a crime prevention committee in schools to ensure the safety of students and the entire academic community.

House Bill 6639 or the proposed Campus Safety and Security Act mandates Higher Education Institutions and Technical-Vocational Institutions to ensure the safety and security of the academic community from internal and external threats.

“It is very alarming that there has been an increase in the number of crimes being reported happening inside campuses of many universities and educational institutions all over the Philippines,” Rodriguez said in his explanatory note.

The lawmaker stressed that students should always feel safe and are entitled to have a safe and secure environment when pursuing their studies.

He added that it is the duty of the State and the different educational institutions to ensure that their students and everyone in their campuses are always safe.

Under the measure, a crime prevention committee shall be established in every HEI and TVI to formulate policies and strategies that shall help protect the academic community from both internal and external threats to their safety and security, such as theft, robbery, rape and other forms of violence within and outside the area where the HEI or TVI is located.