Dear PAO,

We are not from a well-off family, but our parents strive hard to send us to private schools. My brother did not wear branded shoes or bags to school and because of this, he was bullied by his classmates and peers in grade school. In one of their field trips (pre-pandemic), he was also ridiculed for his dark skin and short height and was called names. All these made him insecure about his looks, and he refused to attend classes. We wanted to settle things amicably, but the bullies’ parents said the incidents happened off-campus, and, at any rate, we should report them first to the barangay for settlement. Are these statements correct?