Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Wednesday that initial findings suggest bullying may have played a role in the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City that left three students dead.
“Ang lumalabas sa initial feedback ay bullying gone wrong. Binu-bully daw ‘yung dalawa estudyanteng ‘yun at dahil doon ay influence sila sa video games,” Remulla said, referring to the two minor suspects.
The June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School has prompted calls to strengthen school safety measures and child protection policies.
Remulla said police officers are assigned to schools but have limited authority inside campuses.
“We’d like to repeat na may mga pulis na naka-assign sa lahat ng eskuwelahan, pero bawal kasi sa amin na kapkapan ang bawat estudyante,” he said.
“Ang jurisdiction ng PNP ay nasa labas ng eskuwelahan, hindi sa loob. Pagdating sa loob ay mga school principal ang namamahala. But, we have to review our policies,” he added.
The interior chief also backed proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility, noting that minors are sometimes exploited by criminal groups because of existing legal protections.
Under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability, while those aged 15 to 18 may only be held liable if they acted with discernment.
The suspects in the Tacloban shooting are aged 14 and 15 and are currently under the custody of authorities.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said criminal complaints for three counts of murder, frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries have been filed against the 15-year-old suspect, identified only as alias Rod.
Nartatez also appealed to the public to stop sharing graphic videos and photos related to the shooting, warning that such content can further traumatize victims, their families, and other students.
“The reckless circulation of graphic videos depicting these school tragedies is not just a digital nuisance, it is a profound act of cruelty that re-victimizes survivors and forces grieving families to relive their worst nightmares repeatedly,” he said.
He said the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group has been directed to monitor the spread of graphic content online and coordinate with social media platforms for possible removal, while local police units have been instructed to conduct dialogues with schools, parents, and student leaders on campus safety and responsible social media use.
