With the recent violent incident in a school in Tacloban City, a lawmaker called on authorities to expand their presence in schools to fend off any further risks that students may face on a day-to-day basis.

Through a letter, Abra Lone District Rep. JB Bernos urged Abra Police Province Director Police Colonel Charles Domalig to increase police “visibility” and “security measures” in educational institutions in the city.

Bernos stressed that it was crucial for local authorities to engage in close coordination with school administrators so that the safety of young learners were properly protected and that the tragic events that led to the death of three students in Tacloban would no longer repeat.

To recall, two armed Grade 9 students from San Jose National High School fired at their fellow students last 22 June. The motives of the incident have yet to be fully determined by authorities with some investigations citing that bullying and online video games played a factor.

Since then, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) along with the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that it had come across information that there was a similar planned act of violence from students at a different school in Leyte that was prevented.

Although there have been no such incidents reported in his locality, Bernos stressed that prevention on the part of local authorities was important as students, teachers, and school personnel deserved to feel safe within school premises.

The lawmaker also mentioned that he was actively backing efforts from fellow solons who have filed House Resolutions seeking for a congressional inquiry into the shooting in order to amend potential gaps in legislation that may have allowed the tragedy to occur.

“Amid calls to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, issues of loose firearms and the state of security in our schools, I believe an inquiry is needed so we can get a fuller picture of the situation and be armed with more information to guide legislative action,” he said.