Palace hits Sara over school shooting blame

Malacañang on Tuesday hit Vice President Sara Duterte for blaming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for failing to protect Filipino children after the latest school shooting in South Cotabato, saying she either did not understand the situation or was unwilling to understand it.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remark after Duterte said the 18 September attack at Banga National High School was the third deadly school shooting in the country since June and warned that violence in schools had become a threat that could strike children “at any time.”

“And regarding the claim that the President is once again being blamed for these incidents — we cannot force someone to understand the situation if he or she is unwilling to understand or just can’t understand,” Castro said.

Castro said the government was taking measures to address the incidents, which she described as unusual, and warned against attributing them to a single cause.

“So, it is not true that the government is doing nothing. What is happening now is not something that usually occurs, especially since gaming apps are allegedly having an influence. It cannot be resolved immediately just like that,” she said.

She urged parents to strengthen their relationships with their children and called on gun owners to secure their firearms.

Relieved

President Marcos has ordered a thorough investigation into the Banga shooting and directed concerned agencies to report on measures to strengthen school security.

The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, confirmed that the father of the student involved in the Banga shooting had been relieved from his post after authorities found that the firearm used in the attack was registered to him.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the DepEd official had three licensed firearms, including the 9mm handgun allegedly taken by his son.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities and teachers to strengthen their personal connections with students.

“This is a wake-up call for all of us in DepEd to be aware of the problem and take positive steps to address it,” Angara said.

He said DepEd was reviewing policies to encourage teachers and school personnel to spend more time interacting with students and checking on their welfare.

Angara said cellphone restrictions in schools would not by themselves address the risks posed by harmful online content and urged parents to supervise children’s smartphone and social media use at home.

Cyber patrols

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also ordered intensified cyber patrols to monitor publicly accessible online spaces for grooming, recruitment, threats and violent communities involving minors.

NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said police would investigate online accounts, communities and platforms being used to influence minors toward violence or criminal activity.

“We will follow the evidence. If an online platform, community, account or individual is being used to groom or influence minors toward violence or criminal activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action under the law,” Abrahano said.

The NCRPO also urged the public not to circulate videos, photographs or graphic material from violent incidents, including the Banga shooting.