By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday said the deadly shooting inside a classroom in Tacloban City that left three students dead appeared to be a case of “bullying gone wrong.”
“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 (Based on initial feedback, it was bullying gone wrong. The two students reportedly got bullied so they got influenced by video games),” Remulla said in a chance interview, referring to the two suspects who are both minors.
Remulla emphasized the need to strengthen the protection of learners, enhance school safety measures and promote responsible citizenship both online and offline.
“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 (there are police officers assigned in every school, but we’re not allowed to frisk students),” he said.
“Ang jurisdiction ng PNP ay nasa labas ng eskuwelahan, hindi sa loob. Pagdating sa loob ay mga school principal ang namamahala (The PNP’s jurisdiction is outside the school. The principal is in charge when it comes to the school’s premises). But, we have to review our policies,” he added.
Remulla also expressed support for proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility, noting that minors are sometimes used as drug couriers because they could not be charged under the law.
Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, states that children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability and are instead subjected to intervention programs.
The law also provides that children older than 15 but younger than 18 may be held criminally liable only if they acted with discernment.
The suspects in the Tacloban school shooting are aged 14 and 15. Both are now under the custody of local police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said criminal complaints have been referred to the local prosecutor’s office against the 15-year-old suspect.
Nartatez said complaints for three counts of murder, frustrated murder and multiple counts of serious physical injuries have been filed against the suspect, identified only as alias Rod.
Nartatez, meanwhile, warned against spreading videos and photos of school-related violence, saying this could cause lasting harm to the victims, their families and fellow 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 in a statement.
He said the appeal covers not only graphic videos but also photos and posts that reveal the identities of children involved in the incidents. He stressed that child protection and privacy standards must be respected throughout the investigation process.
“We urge the public, especially content creators and social media users, to stop the cycle of trauma by deleting and refusing to share these videos, as your desire for online engagement should never come at the cost of human dignity or the sanctity of an ongoing police investigation,” Nartatez said.
He directed the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and other concerned units to monitor the online spread of graphic content related to the incidents and coordinate with social media platforms for possible content removal or restriction.
Local police units have also been instructed to conduct dialogues with school officials, parents and student leaders on school safety and responsible social media use. (PNA)
