The sense of the House of Representatives is clear--the tragic Tacloban City school shooting must be probed, and the government's pre- and post-interventions dissected.

This, after several House members filed on Thursday, June 25 resolutions seeking a House inquiry on the disturbing incident, wherein three minors were killed.

One of these congessmen, Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco, filed House Resolution (HR) No. 1155 directing several House committees to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026.

The resolution seeks to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify possible gaps in existing laws on school safety, firearms regulation, child protection, and juvenile justice.

"The deaths of these young students are a tragedy that should never happen again. We owe it to the victims and their families to find out what went wrong and ensure that our schools remain safe places for our children," Tiangco said.

Initial reports indicate that the alleged perpetrators are minors aged 15 and 14, raising serious concerns about juvenile delinquency, access to firearms, parental responsibility, and the adequacy of existing intervention and rehabilitation mechanisms for at-risk youth.

According to him, the incident highlights the need to review whether current laws and policies are sufficient and properly implemented, particularly the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, the Anti-Bullying Act, and the Mental Health Act.

"We must ask difficult questions. How did minors gain access to firearms? Were there warning signs that were missed? Are our schools adequately equipped to prevent and respond to these kinds of incidents? These are questions that Congress cannot ignore," said the majority solon.

The House Committees on Basic Education and Culture, on Public Order and Safety, and on the Welfare of Children are being tapped for this purpose.

Filing HR No. 1153 were Akbayan Party-list Reps. Chel Diokno, Percival Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands lone district Rep. Kaka Bag-ao. They also sought a House probe on the Tacloban tragedy.

"Initial reports indicate that the alleged perpetrators were minors aged 14 and 15 enrolled in the same school and that allegations of prolonged bullying and social isolation are being investigated as possible contributing factors to the incident," the resolution read.

"Reports have likewise indicated that one of the minor suspects was a frequent user of the online game 'GoreBox', a game featuring graphic depictions of violence," it further said.

As such, the authors called onauthorities to examine the possible influence of violent online content on children and adolescents. They raised broader concerns regarding the adequacy of existing safeguards, age-verification mechanisms, parental controls, and digital safety measures designed to protect minors in online environments.

They reckoned that the incident highlights the need to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, Republic Act (RA) No. 10627, otherwise known as the "Anti-Bullying Act of 2013"; RA No. 11036 or the "Mental Health Act"; RA No. 10591 or the "Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act"; and other related laws and regulations intended to protect children and maintain safe learning environments.

"The incident likewise underscores the need to assess the adequacy of existing school security protocols, behavioral threat assessment systems, psychosocial interventions, guidance and counseling services, child protection mechanisms, and coordination among educational institutions, local government units, law enforcement agencies, and mental health professionals," HR No. 1153 further read.

Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc composed of ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co filed HR No. 1157.

Aside from investigating San Jose National High School shooting itself, the measure seeks to respond to the systemic factoes driving school violence in the country.

"The school shooting incident in Tacloban was not an isolated case," the authors said.

"Two other cases of school violence were also reported in separate schools in Cavite involving students during the first week of classes...the first incident happened on June 16 at Bethel Academy of Gen. Trias, Cavite when seven Grade 5 students were stabbed by a Grade 8 student with a kitchen knife. The second incident took place on June 19 at Cavite National High School where a senior high school student stabbed another student several times with a bladed weapon," HR No. 1157 read.

The militant lawmakers said these incidents of school violence should not be taken solely as a security failure issue.

"It is clear that systemic factors aggravate violence in children and teenagers. As the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) reveal, overcrowded classrooms contribute significantly to worsening cases of school bullying, intimidation, and diminished students safety," the resolution read.