(Manila, 24th – Comprehensive Report) A serious campus shooting recently took place at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Philippines, resulting in the deaths of 3 students and leaving multiple others injured, drawing heightened societal concern. Several senators are calling on the government to strengthen school safety measures, including installing closed-circuit television (CCTV), adding security personnel, and acquiring metal detectors to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
Senator Raffy Tulfo stated on Wednesday that this shooting incident again highlights existing loopholes in campus security systems, and the government should urgently implement a bill he previously proposed to incorporate campus surveillance and security measures into a legal framework.
He said that as campus violence incidents are increasingly on the rise, many of which involve students themselves, it is time to strengthen school safety management through legislation. He suggested installing CCTV systems in major campus areas and classrooms, which would not only serve as a deterrent but also assist in investigations and the implementation of anti-bullying measures.
Tulfo revealed that Education Secretary Angara had explained to him that the school involved lacked perimeter fencing, resulting in the involved student being able to enter the school premises from the rear, even with security guards arranged by the school.
Currently, the Department of Education is working with local governments to explore the use of Special Education Funds to build school fences and acquire metal detection equipment in order to raise the level of campus safety.
On the other hand, Senator Loren Legarda believes that relying solely on strengthening security measures is not enough; authorities must delve deeper into the root causes that drive young people towards violent behavior.
She pointed out that social media and online games may be among the contributing factors, but more importantly, it is vital to understand whether warning signs in the growth process of the student in question had been overlooked, and how society can provide support early on to prevent tragedies from occurring.
She emphasized that besides establishing sound security mechanisms, schools should also strengthen psychological counseling services, implement anti-bullying policies, and set up early warning systems to help students facing emotional and psychological difficulties.
“Children today are more interconnected than ever, but at the same time, they may also feel lonelier than before.” She said that families, schools, communities, tech companies, and government agencies should all share the responsibility of protecting children.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police announced it will work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) to strengthen the monitoring of violent content in video games and online applications, aimed at reducing minors’ exposure to violent information.
The police are currently investigating whether the open-world sandbox game "GoreBox" is connected to one of the underage suspects. This game allows players to use weapons and various tools to freely create or destroy game scenes.
Police Chief General Acorda said that the police will coordinate with relevant agencies via the Anti-Cybercrime Group to conduct the investigation and study if there is a connection between long-term exposure of minors to online violent content and real-life behavior.
According to police data, "GoreBox" had already been flagged by authorities earlier and is subject to regulatory restrictions.
He said that as campus violence incidents are increasingly on the rise, many of which involve students themselves, it is time to strengthen school safety management through legislation. He suggested installing CCTV systems in major campus areas and classrooms, which would not only serve as a deterrent but also assist in investigations and the implementation of anti-bullying measures.
Tulfo revealed that Education Secretary Angara had explained to him that the school involved lacked perimeter fencing, resulting in the involved student being able to enter the school premises from the rear, even with security guards arranged by the school.
Currently, the Department of Education is working with local governments to explore the use of Special Education Funds to build school fences and acquire metal detection equipment in order to raise the level of campus safety.
On the other hand, Senator Loren Legarda believes that relying solely on strengthening security measures is not enough; authorities must delve deeper into the root causes that drive young people towards violent behavior.
She pointed out that social media and online games may be among the contributing factors, but more importantly, it is vital to understand whether warning signs in the growth process of the student in question had been overlooked, and how society can provide support early on to prevent tragedies from occurring.
She emphasized that besides establishing sound security mechanisms, schools should also strengthen psychological counseling services, implement anti-bullying policies, and set up early warning systems to help students facing emotional and psychological difficulties.
“Children today are more interconnected than ever, but at the same time, they may also feel lonelier than before.” She said that families, schools, communities, tech companies, and government agencies should all share the responsibility of protecting children.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police announced it will work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) to strengthen the monitoring of violent content in video games and online applications, aimed at reducing minors’ exposure to violent information.
The police are currently investigating whether the open-world sandbox game "GoreBox" is connected to one of the underage suspects. This game allows players to use weapons and various tools to freely create or destroy game scenes.
Police Chief General Acorda said that the police will coordinate with relevant agencies via the Anti-Cybercrime Group to conduct the investigation and study if there is a connection between long-term exposure of minors to online violent content and real-life behavior.
According to police data, "GoreBox" had already been flagged by authorities earlier and is subject to regulatory restrictions.