SENATOR Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara has filed a measure that seeks to mandate higher education institutions and technical vocational institutions to create safety and security committees for the protection of the academic community.

In filing Senate Bill 703, Angara reminded HEIs and TVIs that it is the State’s responsibility to ensure a safe and secure environment for students.

“It is necessary for students, their parents and/or guardians to have access to information with regard to campus crime statistics, as well as crime prevention plans in these campuses to equip them in making an informed choice as to which school to go to or send their children to,” Angara said in his explanatory note.

The measure provides for the establishment of a Safety and Security Committee in every HEIs at TVIs. These committees will formulate policies and strategies to protect the academic community from internal and external threats such as theft, robbery, rape and other forms of violence.

Under the bill, the committees will coordinate with HEI and TVI administrators or deans in the maintenance of peace and order; recommend the conduct of seminars or training on crime and drug prevention and control in coordination with the National Police Commission, local police station and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

They will also be mandated to submit to the Commission on Higher Education or to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority the program of activities for the academic year.

Schools that fail to comply with the provisions of the proposed law will be slapped administrative sanctions by the CHED and the TESDA.