NATION

Ateneo de Zamboanga provides crisis support

Jasper Dawang · Aug 21, 2026, 1:21 AM

THE shooting at the Jesuit-run school, which saw a student kill a fellow student before killing himself, sparked shock and reignited alarm over juvenile delinquency and campus security. — (OSV News photo//Nonoy Lacson, Reuters)

Ateneo de Zamboanga University has expanded mental health and counseling support for students and staff affected by a shooting incident at its Junior High School Tumaga campus while continuing to assist police with their investigation, university officials said Thursday.

In a statement, University president Fr. Guillrey Anthony “Ernald” M. Andal, S.J., said the school’s Psychological First Aid Team has assisted 102 students, 75 parents, and three faculty members following the violence.

Andal commended university guidance counselors, pastoral teams, medical staff, and responding government agencies — including the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health — for providing immediate crisis intervention.

School leadership met with officials from the local government, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Education, the Senate, and the Office of the Vice President to review response efforts and coordinate additional support.