The Department of Justice has not received any bullying complaints or referrals nationwide since the issuance of a department circular in July, Justice Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato said Thursday.

Dato, however, cautioned that the lack of complaints reaching the DOJ should not be taken to mean that no bullying incidents have occurred.

“Zero complaints does not mean zero incidents,” he said.

Dato said the DOJ Action Center and prosecution offices nationwide had received no bullying-related complaint or referral since 30 July 2026, when Department Circular No. 26 was issued, until Wednesday.

The circular provides a mechanism for referring certain bullying-related cases to prosecutors.

Under the Anti-Bullying Act, Dato said complaints are generally handled first at the school level through Child Protection Committees.

A case reaches the DOJ or prosecution offices only when it is referred under the circular or when the alleged conduct may already constitute a criminal offense.

“We should remember that under the anti-bullying act, cases are meant to be resolved first at the school level through the child protection committees,” Dato said.

He added that the department would continue reviewing the mechanism for possible gaps and improvements.

“As in any policy directive or initiative, we always look for gaps. If there might be a need to improve on the mechanism, then the Department of Justice will look into it,” he said.

Dato also noted that bullying-related cases are already included in the DOJ’s monitoring system for complaints filed nationwide.