Malacañang on Tuesday challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to propose concrete measures to address school violence instead of merely criticizing the government in the wake of the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Vice President should provide recommendations that could help prevent similar incidents involving students.
“Magaling naman po yata siyang magpuna, pero walang solusyon na naibibigay. Sana nagbigay siya ng solusyon,” Castro told reporters.
The Palace official was responding to Duterte’s remarks following the shooting, which left three students dead and several others injured.
Castro also questioned the Vice President’s suggestion regarding intelligence gathering, saying the incident involved students rather than terrorists.
“Ibig sabihin, estudyante dapat minu-monitor para sa intelligence gathering? Hindi sila mga terorista, sila ay mga estudyanteng mukhang diumanong gumon lang sa online gaming na marahas,” she said.
She noted that similar incidents occurred during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including a 2019 classroom shooting in Laguna involving a Grade 7 student.
“May mga pagkakataon po na hindi maiiwasan ang mga ganitong sitwasyon, especially sa pangyayaring ito, mga estudyante, mga menor de edad, hindi terorista,” Castro said.
The Palace official reiterated that the Vice President should contribute ideas that would help address the problem.
“At sa susunod sana, bago magbigay ng pamimintas at paninira ang Bise Presidente, itanong ninyo sa kanya, ano ang kanyang suhestiyon,” she said.
The shooting at San Jose National High School on Monday involved two minors aged 14 and 15. Authorities said one of the suspects is a child in conflict with the law and are investigating reports that both minors may have been victims of bullying.
The incident came days after two separate stabbing incidents involving students were reported in Cavite on June 16 and June 19.
The recent cases have sparked discussions on possible amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, tighter school security measures, and increased regulation of social media use among minors.
