Tacloban School Shooting Leaves 3 Dead, 7 Injured

TACLOBAN CITY — The Grade 9 students settled in for a regular day, opening their notebooks in a classroom that smelled of chalk and morning rain. Then, two sharp cracks. A pause. Three more.

In seconds, the classroom everyone believed to be safe became a place no child should be in. When the gunfire stopped, three students lay still. Five others lay bleeding, calling for classmates, for teachers, for mothers.

The suspects, a 15-year-old Grade 9 student known as “Rod” and a 14-year-old known as “Nash,” entered two classrooms and opened fire at 40 to 50 of their classmates at the San Jose National High School in Barangay 86 at around 9 a.m.

Three students – two girls and a boy – were killed, while seven others, were wounded.

Videos circulating on social media showed students crying for help as they heard successive gunshots. One video showed a victim being hit by a bullet in his right shoulder as he tried to keep their classroom door shut.

Eastern Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said the suspects were armed with a .9mm Glock pistol and a .38 caliber handgun.

“The children scampered right after they heard the gunshots,” Capoy told reporters in a phone interview.

He said they are looking at revenge as the motive, after investigators interviewed teachers and school officials together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Suspects bullied?

The suspects – who are close friends – had reportedly been bullied at school since Grade 7.

One of the suspects was arrested inside the school, while the other was apprehended in a residential area near the campus.

There could have been more casualties if police officers were not able to respond quickly. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said police officers were at the school within two minutes.

One of the suspects, Nash, used a Glock registered to his aunt who is a police officer, the PNP reported on Monday.

Co said Nash even reloaded his gun.

“He changed magazines. As of now we were only able to recover two magazines, but we are still checking the area,” the PNP spokesman said at a news briefing on Monday.

“Without saying anything, both suspects opened fire,” Co added.

Nash was armed with the Glock, while Rod held the .38 caliber, which was registered to a security agency based in Cebu City.

Police investigators recovered around 40 bullet casings from the scene. As only one bullet was missing from Rod’s handgun, it appeared that Nash did most of the shooting.

Policewoman aunt sacked, faces raps

Nash’s aunt, who is assigned with the Eastern Visayas police, was relieved from her post and is facing criminal and administrative cases for failure to secure her firearm.

In a statement, the Police Regional Office 8 said Rod is allegedly the son of a soldier.

How did gun-carrying students enter the school?

Capoy said the school has several entrance and exit points, and only one security guard on duty at the time of the shooting.

Col. Noelito Getigan, city director of the Tacloban PNP, told The Philippine STAR a police station will be installed near the school to ensure the safety of students.

“We have a roving patrol unit in the area; however, it can’t be secure for 24 hours, considering there are security guards,” Getigan said.

In a statement issued by Department of Education regional director Salustiano Jimenez, the DepEd immediately coordinated with the PNP, the Schools Division Office of Tacloban City and school authorities to ensure the safety and security of learners, teaching and non-teaching personnel and all individuals within the school premises.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this unfortunate incident, particularly the learners, personnel and families who may have experienced fear, trauma or distress as a result of the situation,” the statement said.

PNP visibility heightened

In response to the spate of violence in schools, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered police commanders to strengthen visibility around learning institutions, such as intensifying preventive patrols and conducting regular security assessments in coordination with school officials and local government units.

“Violence has no place in our schools. Our learners, teachers and school personnel deserve an environment that is safe and conducive to learning,” Nartatez said in a speech at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Lawmakers react

Sen. Bong Go, who chairs the Senate committee on youth, urged agencies to conduct an immediate and full investigation on how the suspects were able to bring firearms into the school.

He said his office is open to provide aid to the parents of the children affected by the incident.

“It is my earnest hope and prayer that we will uncover the truth behind this tragedy and ensure that such an incident will never happen again,” Go said.

Sen. Camille Villar, meanwhile, urged the DepEd, local government units, law enforcement agencies and school authorities to review existing school safety protocols, anti-bullying and counselling services and intervention programs for at-risk youth.

She also emphasized the importance of addressing the growing mental health challenges faced by many young Filipinos, noting that emotional distress, social pressures, bullying and unresolved psychological concerns often go unnoticed until it is too late.

Sen. Bam Aquino, who chairs the Senate basic education committee, said the panel has previously discussed the School Safety Act, adding that it will include the incident in its discussions.

Sen. JV Ejercito, meanwhile, said it is important that those involved in the incident undergo psychological make-up to determine what prompted them to do commit violence.

Former speaker and Leyte first district congressman Martin Romualdez extended his sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims.

“I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragic shooting incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, the injured students, their classmates, teachers and the entire school community as they face this unimaginable tragedy,” he said.

Parañaque HS teachers face sex rap probe

Meanwhile, DepEd’s schoolss division office in Parañaque will investigate claims circulating over the weekend of sexual abuse inside the Parañaque National High School.

“The Schools Division Office has initiated the appropriate processes and is undertaking the necessary actions in accordance with existing laws, DepEd policies, child protection protocols and due process requirements,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

In a separate statement, Parañaque National High School said it will release a statement once its own review process is complete.

Yesterday, about 70 students protested in front of the school, calling on administrators to take swift action over the matter.

They accused the administration of sitting on cases for years. — With Emmanuel Tupas, Delon Porcalla, EJ Macababbad, Daphne Galvez, Reuters, Associated Press