BAGUIO CITY— Amid public outrage over two viral videos depicting student violence, one occurring inside a school and the other off-campus, Liga ng mga Barangay President and Councilor Rocky Aliping called for strong intervention from local barangay units and communities.

Two separate incidents of student violence in Baguio City recently gained public attention after videos of the altercations circulated on social media. The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) launched investigations into both cases, coordinating with social workers and school administrators to handle the involved minors and implement appropriate interventions.

The Department of Education (DepEd) said it had addressed the issue, with sanctions reportedly implemented.

Aliping said the incident in Barangay Pinget was already on the brink of becoming more than just a case of student violence, as it appeared to have the potential to escalate because some of those involved were reportedly children of residents belonging to different tribes.

He stressed that the barangay local government unit (LGU) should act immediately and ensure that the families, elders and community meet to discuss the issue and resolve it.

He said that if the issue could be resolved amicably, it would be preferable, but if sanctions needed to be imposed, those involved should accept them.

As of 28 August 2026, the barangay LGUs of Pinget and neighboring Pinsao Proper, along with the involved students and their families, had met in a dialogue, and the issue was reportedly resolved amicably. The city's social work office also intervened, and appropriate actions were taken.

The councilor reiterated the role of barangay LGUs in addressing such matters. Aliping also mentioned the strengthening of a city resolution approved in July this year to address incidents of school violence, particularly bullying.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Baguio City unanimously approved Resolution No. 579, Series of 2026, calling on all 128 barangays in Baguio City to strategically redeploy at least one barangay tanod or watchman to public schools under the DepEd within their jurisdictions.

The measure follows Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2025-072 and responds to an increase in campus and youth-related violence across the country in June 2026.

It aims to address security gaps in public schools that lack funding for private security guards. Under the resolution, deployed tanods will assist with traffic management, conduct routine patrols, monitor incidents and provide operational support in coordination with local police stations.

The council also requested Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong to issue an executive order to mandate and operationalize the deployment across all affected barangays.

Aliping stressed that barangay LGUs, communities and other concerned agencies share responsibility for ensuring peace and order inside and outside schools.

He also appealed to netizens to refrain from posting unverified claims, particularly when they are unaware of how the cases were processed, to avoid misinformation that could lead to further escalation.