Vice President Sara Duterte expressed deep sadness and concern over the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City on Monday, calling on the government to strengthen measures that protect students from violence and other threats.
The shooting occurred at around 9 a.m., leaving three students dead and dozens others injured.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Duterte lamented the loss of young lives and the injuries sustained by learners, emphasizing that schools should remain safe spaces for children.
“Schools are meant to be places of learning, growth, and security,” Duterte said, stressing that parents send their children to school expecting them to be safe, not to become victims of violence.
“No parent sends a child to school expecting that child to become a victim of violence,” she said.
The vice president noted that the Tacloban shooting was not an isolated case, citing previous incidents involving learners, including the deaths of two student-athletes during a basketball training program.
“With the tragedies that have befallen our learners, including the loss of two student-athletes during a basketball training program, the government must confront the serious gaps in our ability to protect the youth,” Duterte said.
She also warned against harmful influences that may affect young people and underscored the need to safeguard students from abuse, neglect, and violence both inside and outside educational institutions.
“Our learners must be protected from radical influences, whether they come from outside the school, from online platforms, or from individuals who take advantage of the vulnerabilities of young people. More importantly, they must be protected from abuse, neglect, and violence within the very institutions entrusted with their welfare,” she said.
Duterte further said the incident exposed weaknesses in intelligence gathering and threat-detection systems, stressing that authorities must identify potential dangers before they escalate into violence.
“This tragedy also exposes the failure of the government to recognize the importance of intelligence gathering and identifying threats before lives are lost. We cannot continue reacting only after another child is hurt or killed,” she said.
She added that education goes beyond academics and is closely linked to the values, influences, and environments that shape young people.
“What our children learn, who influences them, and the values they carry with them outside the classroom are deeply intertwined with national security and stability,” Duterte said.
The vice president urged the Marcos administration to treat the incident as a wake-up call and take immediate action to make schools safer.
“The continuing loss of young lives should serve as a wake-up call to this administration. The government must act now to make our schools safer and to better protect our learners,” she said.
Meanwhile, two suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested following the attack.
Eastern Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy reportedly said neither of the minors had a prior criminal record.
Capoy said investigators found that one of the suspects obtained the 9mm pistol used in the shooting from his aunt, a police officer who is now under investigation, while the other suspect was armed with a .38-caliber revolver.
According to Capoy, the firearms were brought into the school undetected due to security lapses. Only one security guard had been assigned to monitor multiple entrances and exits across the campus.
The incident has also renewed calls from Sen. Robin Padilla to pass his proposed measure lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 years old. The proposal seeks to amend provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, a law principally authored by Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
The Philippines’ juvenile justice system is governed by Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, as amended by Republic Act No. 10630. The law prioritizes rehabilitation, intervention, and restorative justice for children in conflict with the law rather than punitive measures.
Under current regulations, children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability and are instead subjected to intervention and support programs aimed at their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.reintegration into society.
