OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.
There has been another school shooting incident in the Philippines. Two minors are dead after another fatal school shooting incident occurred this time in Ateneo de Zamboanga. Historically, school-targeted mass gun violence was practically non-existent in the Philippines. This year, two school active shooter incidents have occurred within a span of two months. This is a new phenomenon. What is happening?
We all read about the Columbine school shooting (1999) in the U.S. state of Colorado that left 13 people dead and the Sandy Hook Elementary incident where a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 first grade children. There have, in fact, been dozens of such incidents that have occurred all over the world in the past few decades. Our country had been safe from these incidents till now. What happened?
There are many who cite the recent proliferation of unregulated digital platforms, massive black market for firearms, severe gaps in campus physical security and unaddressed student mental health crises in almost all schools.
After the Tacloban incident, our political survey and FGD group Pulso Lab had recently conducted some FGD’s and interviews and some studies on the possible causes of the lifting of our previous inoculation from such incidents
One such prevailing opinion from parents, teachers and students alike points to the fact that respect for authority within the school system seem to be waning. Traditionally, teachers and administrators were treated with utmost respect. The idea of never harming a teacher or disobeying authority was hardwired into almost all students. With overzealous helicopter parents and some NGO’s attacking many forms of discipline, this culture of authority has been eroded. Some students have even crossed the line and actually attacked teachers physically or online. This has lifted the guardrails that prevented students from even contemplating these acts.
Another prevailing opinion is the emergence of the digital mass shooter blueprint. Before the emergence of specific online cultures that actually gave instructions and encouragement for “school shooters,” the said school shooter archetype did not exist in the collective consciousness of the youth. With said blueprint now readily available online and the occurrence of the Tacloban incident, the probability of copycats has increased tremendously. The genie is out of the bottle.
The third prevailing opinion is that students are feeling more isolated lately. Whereas before lone wolves were not common in our country because of our social structure, there are several factors which now promote such lone wolves. Isolated and vulnerable to online influence, these students’ already brittle mental health dispositions are now easier to crack.
We have already made the call in previous op-eds about the need for the return of school authority culture and draconian security measures. We have also made the call for the immediate implementation of mental health programs such as Project Stigma. This will not disappear by ignoring the situation. We need to wake up now and act collectively for our children.
