The Department of Justice (DoJ) is assisting the families of the victims of the Tacloban school shooting in applying for financial aid under the government’s Victim Compensation Program.

Justice Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato, head of the DoJ’s Law Enforcement Cluster, said Thursday that the department’s Regional Prosecution Office in Eastern Visayas deployed personnel to assist the affected families shortly after the 22 June tragedy.

Last 26 June, regional prosecutors helped the families of the three deceased students and three surviving injured students file formal claims before the Board of Claims.

The board is the state body tasked with administering compensation to qualified victims of violent crimes.

The Victim Compensation Program provides financial relief to victims of serious offenses, including families of persons killed through acts of violence.

It also covers victims of rape, sexual abuse, human trafficking and torture, as well as individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned and later exonerated.

However, the DoJ did not disclose the specific monetary amount requested or eligible for award, saying that all claims remain subject to evaluation by the Board of Claims in accordance with statutory guidelines.

Officials said the legal and financial processing is part of the government’s sustained support for the victims’ families following the campus attack in Leyte province.