TACLOBAN CITY — Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed Tuesday that the shooting incident at San Jose National High School here in which three students were killed and 13 others injured was planned.

Authorities noted that the 14-year-old and 15-year-old suspects were reportedly influenced by violent online games.

“This is not merely a peace and order concern. We also need to guide and monitor our children, especially since they are widely exposed to violent content online,” Angara stated during a visit to the school.

He stressed that teachers must serve as second parents, regularly checking learners for signs of distress or unusual behavior. “I think in the future we just have to understand the kids better and then regulate some of the harmful behavior,” he added.

The Education Secretary commended the school’s teaching staff and principal for their immediate actions in limiting casualties during the attack.

Angara said the source of the firearm should be held accountable.

“Papanagutin kung kanino nanggaling ‘yung baril. Kasi hindi naman po natural na may baril ang mga bata, di ba?”

(We should punish the owner of the gun. Children do naturally not have access to weapons)

Initial reports said the 14 year old Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL) was allegedly trained to handle firearms by her aunt, a police officer who is said to own the 9mm Glock pistol used in the incident.

The suspects jumped over the school fence before engaging in a shooting spree.

Angara appealed to the media not to glorify the incident as other children’s validation is based on likes on social media for doing something different or unusual.

He thanked government agencies and partner groups for deploying psychosocial support services for affected students, teachers, and families.

Angara urged a review and update of existing school safety protocols, particularly those covering shooting emergencies.

“It’s something that we never thought was applicable, but there is a protocol. We just need to update it,” he said.