Ranking congressmen have begun to espouse various actions in response to the shocking, livestreamed shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday morning, Aug. 18 that left two students dead.

Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press conference that the lower chamber could take advantage of the ongoing 2027 national budget deliberations to tackle specific steps to improve campus safety.

“Makakaasa po sila na sa hanay po ng lehislatura, partikular ang Kamara, gagawin po natin ang lahat para masuportahan po ang [DepEd] sa pagsi-secure sa ating mga eskwelahan at maiwasan na po itong ganitong klaseng karahasan na mangyari pa po sa mga susunod na mga araw,” he said.

(Rest assured that within the legislature, particularly the House, we will do everything to support the Department of Education in securing our schools and preventing this kind of violence from happening again in the coming days.)

DepEd has the biggest proposed allocation under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) at P976 billion, or 13.55 percent of the spending plan. The NEP is the precursor to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the annual budget measure.

Adiong said the shooting should prompt lawmakers to determine whether schools have adequate funding for physical security, including guards and equipment to detect weapons before they enter campuses.

“Baka kailangan nila ‘yung metal detector, mga X-ray, sa mga bawat portal o ‘yung mga gate na papasok ‘yung mga estudyante. Kasi mukhang nakapasok itong baril na ito eh. Paano nakapasok sa isang school, di ba?” he said.

(They might need metal detectors, X‑ray machines at every portal or gate where students enter. Because it seems this gun got inside. How did it get into a school, right?)

“Tatanungin natin kung meron bang enough na budget itong per division, per schools division, para maglagay ng mga metal detectors sa bawat gate nitong mga paaralan na ito para hindi makapasok ‘yung mga ganitong baril na madi-detect na from the start,” Adiong added.

(We will ask if each division, each schools division, has enough budget to install metal detectors at every gate of these schools so that firearms like this can be detected from the start and prevented from entering.)

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chairman Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua said DepEd should coordinate closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP], local governments and other agencies responsible for peace and order.

Chua said DepEd should remain focused on its core mandate of educating students while agencies with the appropriate mandate and expertise address security threats.

He said closer coordination with law enforcement and local governments would allow DepEd to improve campus security without diverting the agency from its primary responsibility.

Adiong said DepEd could also take administrative measures, including hiring security personnel and strengthening coordination with law enforcement agencies.

“Ang gusto natin is prevention (What we want is prevention). How to prevent this incident to happen again in the future, sana hindi mangyari (which hopefully wont happen again), is also to beef up the security of the [DepEd],” he said.

Authorities said a Grade 9 student armed with two firearms shot and killed another student before taking his own life at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University campus. Two others were injured and hundreds of students were evacuated.

Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David “Jayjay” Suarez said in a statement Tuesday that response to the matter was urgent. 

"We condemn this senseless act of violence in the strongest possible terms.That this tragedy was broadcast live on a social media platform underscores the urgent need to protect our young people not only in physical spaces but also in the digital world," he said.

"I call upon my colleagues in the House of Representatives to take decisive action by passing House Bill No. 9825, the 'Digital Safety of Minors Act,' Suarez said.

According to the Quezon solon, the measure does not seek to ban technology or restrict young people’s right to learn and express themselves. "We are simply ensuring that digital platforms are designed with the needs and safety of children as the priority."

"Social media offers tremendous opportunities for our youth, yet it also carries serious risks to their mental health and physical safety. Events such as the live-streaming of violence remind us that we must protect our children from harmful content and from platforms that can be used to amplify tragedy," he noted.

Pasig City lone district Rep. Roman Romulo, the chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, echoed his colleagues' statements and insisted that schools "must remain places of learning, safety, and hope—never sites of fear and bloodshed". 

"This incident underscores the urgent need to strengthen protections for learners while addressing the underlying factors that may contribute to youth violence, including mental health concerns, bullying, access to weapons, and other risks to children and communities," he said.

"We call on the DepEd and the PNP to conduct a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation, ensure accountability in accordance with the law, and provide immediate psychosocial and other necessary support to the victims, their families, and the affected school community," Romulo said.

He has also urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information on the incident while investigations are ongoing.

Leyte-based Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre can help but be reminded of a recent, similar local tragedy in light of the Zamboanga City school shooting.

"What makes this even more painful is that this is not the first incident of its kind we have seen in recent months.We have seen other cases of violence involving students, including the school shooting in Tacloban City last June," he said.

"As chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, I believe we have a responsibility to examine where our present systems may still be falling short," Acidre reckoned.

"We cannot simply grieve each time this happens and then move on. Each incident should compel us to look more closely at what is happening in and around our schools, and at what more we need to do to keep our young people safe," he pointed out. 

Incidentally, President Marcos announced in his July 27 State of the Nation Address (SONA) his support for the DepEd's hiring of up to 10,000 school counselor associates (SCAs) to help promote the mental health of elementary and high school learners amid the disturbing rise in violence and bullying on campus.

Deputy Majority Leader Camarines Sur 5th district Rep. Luigi Villafuerte underscored the timeliness of the Chief Executive’s pronouncements.

"Even before the President tackled this major concern in his latest SONA, Mr. Marcos had already called on all government agencies, parents and other sectors to work together on ensuring the safety and security of young Filipinos in their schools,” he said.

Villafuerte said the DepEd can now speed up the hiring of SCAs as DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara had announced the Civil Service Commission (CSC)’s creation of such positions on the basis of Republic Act (RA) No. 12080, or the “Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.”