DNA
MANILA: The Philippines was rocked on Monday by a deadly school shooting incident in Leyte province, where gunmen killed three students and wounded seven others.
The incident took place at 9 a.m. at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City in the central Philippines, where children were gathered for their class.
Footage circulated on social media showed children hiding in a classroom, as multiple shots are heard.
Tacloban City Police confirmed the casualties and said they had arrested two suspects and seized the firearms allegedly used in the incident — a revolver and a 9 mm Glock pistol.
Earlier reports identified the shooters as students aged 15 and 14. Initial investigation by Tacloban police indicated that the incident “may have stemmed from a personal grudge allegedly rooted in school bullying.”
In the Philippines, where no school shooting incidents have been recorded in recent history, the incident sent a wave of shock and anger among parents across the country.
“It’s very distressing. Are our youths copying their American counterparts?” Patricio Capuli from Pasay City told Arab News.
“The mere fact that students in high school are planning to bring in firearms, ammunition and murder their fellow students is very, very alarming.”
He referred to viral footage in which the arrested students were seen showing off their weapons.
“How did that happen? The suspects, have you seen their pictures? The kids were so proud of having gotten those firearms. They’re brandishing them in social media,” Capuli said.
“How did two teenagers carry high-powered weapons inside a schoolroom without the guards noticing it? As a parent, I find it very, very odd … I find the response time of the authorities very slow considering that three people were killed.”
The Philippine Department of Education described the shooting as a “high-alert situation” and said it was “working hand-in-hand with relevant government agencies to deploy critical medical assistance and appropriate psychosocial interventions for the affected learners and personnel.”
Naz Romano, school administrator at a public high school in Romblon province, told Arab News the Tacloban City shooting should be a “wake-up call” for the Department of Education — both in terms of schools’ security and establishing a clear policy on the responsibilities of parents and teachers when children are involved in bullying.
“When we were younger, bullying was often seen as teasing or jokes. Sometimes there were arguments or even fights, but afterwards, students would usually make up and move on. But today, the situation is much more serious,” he said.
“This is the first time we have heard of a school shooting incident in the Philippines. We often hear about these incidents in the United States, but now something similar has happened here … It is really worrying because even students no longer seem safe in schools.”
