Senator Loren Legarda said on Thursday, June 25 that the tragic shooting at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City should serve as a warning about the deeper and interconnected challenges facing Filipino children and youth today. 

Legarda said the public should look at the issue as a symptom of broader issues affecting the youth and not as an incident that can be explained by one factor alone.

“Social media and online games may be part of the story, but they are not the whole story,” Legarda said.

“They must be examined seriously because they can shape behavior, normalize violence, or expose children to harmful communities. But they cannot be the only explanation,” she said.

“The harder question is: what else was happening in this child’s life, what warning signs went unnoticed, and how do we make sure the next child in crisis is met with support before tragedy strikes?” she pointed out.

Violence among young people, she said, is often linked to deeper struggles and failures in the support systems meant to protect children. 

Citing a study in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care, the senator noted that perpetrators often show serious underlying concerns, including trauma, profound depression, severe anxiety, and suicidal ideation. 

Thus, she said, authorities must carefully examine the bullying allegations now under investigation and determine whether warning signs were missed before the tragedy occurred.

“When a child reaches a point where violence becomes imaginable, we must ask what happened long before that moment. Children do not wake up one day disconnected from their peers, overwhelmed by anger, or unable to see alternatives to violence. Those conditions develop over time,” the lawmaker stressed.

“If bullying is proven to have played a role, then this tragedy should remind us that bullying is never harmless. What some dismiss as teasing can leave deep wounds that affect a child's sense of belonging, safety, and self-worth,” she pointed out.

But the two minors involved in the tragic shooting must still be held accountable under the law, subject to due process, child protection standards, and the country’s juvenile justice framework.

Also, regardless of the motive, Legarda said one fact remains deeply problematic: how these minors gained access to firearms.

“No matter what influenced these young people, this tragedy became deadly because guns found their way into the hands of children. We must determine exactly how that happened and ensure accountability where negligence is found,” she said.

“If, as reports indicate, one of the firearms used was government-issued, then this is no longer just a matter of individual responsibility. It becomes an institutional issue that demands a thorough review of firearm custody, safekeeping protocols, and accountability mechanisms within the agencies concerned,” the lawmaker added. 

Legarda then, urged families, schools, communities, technology companies, and government institutions to work together to protect children.

“Our children are growing up in a world that is more connected than ever, but many also feel more isolated than ever. They face pressures from school, social media, family expectations, economic uncertainty, and online environments that previous generations never had to navigate,” Legarda lamented.