Education Secretary Sonny Angara has proposed the creation of a Joint School Safety Task Force with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct site-specific security audits across public schools nationwide amid a series of school shootings in the country.

The move directly responds to a directive from President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. following a deadly shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the third fatal campus shooting over the last three months.

President Marcos directed the Department of Education (DepEd), DILG, and the PNP to submit an assessment report recommending concrete policy measures to prevent future campus violence.

“Hindi natin maaaring tanggapin na maging bahagi na lamang ng buhay ng ating mga anak ang mga pamamaril sa paaralan. Karapatan ng ating mga anak na makapag-aral nang walang takot. Karapatan ng mga magulang na maipadala sila sa paaralan nang alam na uuwi silang ligtas. Ito ang pananagutan natin sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” President Marcos said.

"In line with the President’s directive, DepEd will work with DILG and PNP to review the measures already implemented following previous incidents and identify remaining gaps in school safety,” said Angara, who personally visited Banga National High School on Saturday.

“This operational framework is not intended to create another permanent bureaucracy, but rather to bring the agencies together to assess specific risks, identify gaps, and recommend concrete interventions. Since the circumstances and vulnerabilities of schools may differ from one area to another, we need to assess risks on the ground and identify interventions appropriate to each school and community," the DepEd chief added.

The proposed joint task force will evaluate critical campus security areas, including physical access control, threat reporting, emergency response, and local law enforcement coordination. Findings will identify actionable interventions at the school, division, local, regional, and national levels.

In tandem with security reviews, DepEd is also coordinating closely with the PNP to establish the complete chain of events, particularly how the firearm was accessed and brought into the school, to address safeguard gaps.

DepEd said it will allow the official investigation to establish the facts and take appropriate action should administrative liability under DepEd rules be determined, while coordinating with authorities on separate firearm laws.

Alongside security measures, DepEd is prioritizing mental health and psychosocial interventions, deploying field personnel and specialized teams to Banga National High School to provide immediate psychological first aid and assistance to affected learners, school personnel, and families.

"Taos-puso akong nakikiramay sa mga pamilyang nawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Walang magulang ang dapat makaranas ng ganitong sakit, at walang bata ang dapat matakot na pumasok sa paaralan," Angara said.

"Nakikiramay din kami sa buong Banga National High School community. Our immediate priority is to support the affected learners, families, and school personnel, including delivering the necessary medical and psychosocial assistance," the DepEd chief added.