Criminal Raps Filed Versus Ateneo Shooter’s Dad

A criminal case has been filed against a Bureau of Customs official whose firearms were used by his 14-year-old son in a shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) last week that left a student and the suspect dead, the Philippine National Police said on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide was filed before the city prosecutor’s office against the Grade 8 student’s father and a school security personnel.

Nartatez did not identify the respondents, but Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno had identified the father as Lt. Lars Jalani, who was sacked as regional enforcement and security chief of the BOC in Zamboanga.

“We follow the evidence, respect due process and let the proper legal process determine accountability,” Nartatez said.

The PNP chief said the investigation found that the shooter acted alone and there was no evidence that the attack was part of a conspiracy involving any group, organization or other persons.

However, security deficiencies contributed to the incident.

The suspect was also exposed to violent online content that may have affected his behavior, Nartatez said.

“We owe it to the families and to the school community to get the facts right. Hindi puwedeng puro assumptions,” he said.

PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said the Police Regional Office 9 report on the incident has been completed.

The report will be released upon Nartatez’s approval and a copy will be given to AdZU.

Meet with Roblox

Due to recent school incidents, the Department of Information and Communications Technology is preparing to meet with Roblox representatives in Singapore today, Aug. 27, to push for reforms to protect children.

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the government wants Roblox to integrate the Philippine Identification or National ID system for age verification and establish an office in the Philippines for faster coordination with authorities.

“If it’s a predator, we can go after them. If it’s a child, they will fall within the appropriate age,” Aguda said. “So we won’t have to fly to Singapore anymore. It’s difficult to do that, or they would have to fly here, and then there would be a jurisdiction issue.”

Aguda said Roblox has until October to comply with the government’s requirements and has so far met three others, including default public controls, a chat system to monitor violent tendencies and coordination with gaming communities.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said Roblox may have influenced the 14-year-old AdZU shooter.

Aside from the AdZU student shooter, one of the suspects in the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22 was also an avid user of the online game.

The suspects, both minors, were responsible for the deaths of three of their schoolmates in the deadly shooting, which also left at least 20 others wounded.

San Beda threatened

Meanwhile, San Beda College Alabang in Muntinlupa City suspended face-to-face classes on Wednesday after the school detected an “unverified safety concern.”

The suspension covered all levels, from basic education to tertiary and graduate school.

“This proactive measure is taken out of an abundance of caution following an unverified safety concern reported late this evening, ensuring the total safety and security of our school community,” the school said.

All classes were shifted to synchronous online remote learning and the physical campus was temporarily closed to students.

Muntinlupa police and school officials later determined that “no direct or verified communication has been established confirming that the alleged threat was made or intended to be carried out.”

Authorities later cleared the school to resume face-to-face classes today after assessing that the campus was “fully safe and clear for the return of students, faculty and personnel.”

Separately, the PNP has launched a probe into reports that online groomers are recruiting minors to commit violent acts through online games.

Nartatez ordered police units to coordinate with other government agencies and foreign counterparts to identify the groomers, some of whom are reportedly foreigners while most are Filipinos. – With Bella Cariaso, EJ Macababbad