Third warning on school shootings
Enforcement must start with firearm owners. They must prove that their weapons are securely stored, inaccessible to minors and accounted for.
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Enforcement must start with firearm owners. They must prove that their weapons are securely stored, inaccessible to minors and accounted for.
On 18 September, a 16-year-old student entered a classroom at Banga National High School in South Cotabato and opened fire. He killed two students, wounded eight others and then took his own life. It was the Philippines’ third deadly school shooting since June, turning what seemed like an unimaginable foreign problem into a recurring danger in our schools.
The firearm belonged to the assailant’s father, a government employee from the Department of Education. Authorities said it had been kept inside a secured vault, which the student forcibly opened. Reports have not established that it was government-issued. That distinction matters because the earlier Zamboanga shooting involved a pistol issued by the Bureau of Customs to the assailant’s father, together with another privately owned weapon.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has emphasized that our gun laws must be strictly enforced. Republic Act 10591 already requires licensing, registration and secure storage. Yet a law has little value when compliance is not checked, violations are tolerated or accountability begins only after children have been killed.
Enforcement must start with firearm owners. They must prove that their weapons are securely stored, inaccessible to minors and accounted for. Government agencies must exercise even greater control over service firearms because these weapons are public property entrusted for official duties. When negligent custody is established, criminal, civil and administrative liability must follow.
Schools also need stronger access controls, threat-reporting systems and emergency procedures. Eleven security guards were reportedly deployed at Banga National High School, but the student still entered with a concealed pistol. Guards and bag inspections can be done, although they cannot replace communication among schools, parents and students when a child displays violent behavior or issues a warning.
Congress should also act on pending proposals. House Bill 10058, the Child Safety Against Gun Violence Act, would impose clearer storage duties where minors are present. Senate Bill 2413, the Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Bill, seeks national standards for risk assessment, campus security, emergency response and coordination with law enforcement.
Firearm bonds already have a basis in Republic Act 10591, which requires bonds from certain licensees. What deserves review is whether those bonds respond when negligent custody results in death or disability.
The model may be likened to the mandatory compulsory third-party liability (CTPL) insurance for vehicles. If my neighbor uses my vehicle and accidentally kills a bystander while using it, CTPL may pay the victim’s family up to P200,000 even though I was not driving. Firearm coverage could work similarly by providing prompt benefits to innocent victims while liability is determined.
No single measure will end gun violence. Strict enforcement, responsible storage, safer schools, mental-health intervention, legislation and financial responsibility must work together. We can no longer wait for a fourth warning before turning existing rules and pending reforms into real protection for our children.
For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.
