Malacañang has rejected Vice President Sara Duterte's assertion that recent incidents of school violence showed weak leadership in the Marcos administration, saying the government acted immediately following the deadly shooting at a public high school in Tacloban City.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, July 29, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said authorities, including the Philippine National Police (PNP), promptly responded to the incident and continue to work toward resolving the case.

"Mabilis pong nagsagawa ng aksiyon ang pamahalaan (The government acted swiftly),” she said.

“Pati po ang PNP, ang mga kapulisan natin sa nasabing lugar. At ngayon po ay gumagawa ng aksiyon para ito ay maresolba (Including the PNP and our police officers in the area. They are now taking action to resolve the case),” she added.

Castro added that it would be better for critics to first understand the President's programs instead of, in her words, becoming "blind to the truth."

Malacañang’s remarks came after Vice President Duterte described the recent spate of school violence—including the fatal shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City—as a manifestation of weak leadership and the loss of the government's "moral ascendancy."

Duterte said that when people no longer respect those at the highest levels of government, including the President, Cabinet secretaries, and officials in the Office of the President, society begins to fracture, with even government employees acting on their own.

The Vice President earlier also urged the administration to strengthen intelligence gathering and threat identification following the Tacloban shooting, saying the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to improve school safety, an assertion previously rejected by Malacañang.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, President Marcos devoted part of his speech to honoring the victims of the Tacloban shooting and calling for a nationwide effort to better protect Filipino children.

The President extended his condolences to the families of the three students killed in the attack, describing their courage and selflessness as an inspiration to the nation, and urged government agencies, schools, parents, teachers, churches, communities, and the private sector to work together to safeguard children from violence and harmful influences.

Marcos also warned against threats facing young Filipinos, including the normalization of violence, harmful online content, fake news, and other factors affecting children's safety and mental health, while announcing measures to strengthen student welfare, including the deployment of School Counsellor Associates in public schools.