At A Glance
- Senators called for a thorough probe into the Ateneo de Zamboanga school shooting that left two students dead, including the teenage gunman, with Gatchalian seeking answers on how the shooter obtained two firearms and brought them into the campus.
- Lawmakers pushed for stronger school safety measures, including threat detection, emergency preparedness, security protocols, guidance services and psychosocial support for students and school personnel.
- Villanueva renewed calls for tighter firearms controls, while Villar backed the proposed LIGTAS Act and Students' Guidance Counseling Act, and also urged stronger safeguards against risks facing children online.
Several senators condemned the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School campus in Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City, on Tuesday, August 18, that left two students dead, including the teenage gunman.
Senate of the Philippines Building (MB file photo)
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called for a thorough investigation into the shooting and urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Zamboanga City government to provide immediate psychosocial support to distressed students and school personnel.
Gatchalian said authorities must determine how the gunman was able to obtain two firearms and how the weapons were brought onto the school premises.
“I strongly condemn the shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School, which, based on initial reports, left two students dead and several others injured,” Gatchalian said.
He also expressed solidarity with the Ateneo de Zamboanga community as authorities continue to investigate the incident.
Senator Mark Villar, likewise, condemned the shooting, stressing that schools should remain safe spaces for students.
“Walang magulang ang dapat matakot na baka hindi na makauwi nang ligtas ang kanilang anak. Schools must remain safe spaces where our children can learn, grow, and pursue their dreams without fear (No parent should have to fear that their child may not come home safely. Schools must remain safe spaces where our children can learn, grow, and pursue their dreams without fear),” Villar said.
Villar called for a comprehensive approach to school safety, including stronger security measures, early threat detection, emergency preparedness, guidance services, psychosocial support and timely intervention.
He renewed his push for Senate Bill No. 2321, or the proposed LIGTAS Act, which seeks to establish a comprehensive safety and security framework for basic education institutions nationwide.
The measure proposes stronger threat assessment and reporting mechanisms, closer coordination between schools and law enforcement, emergency response protocols, parent notification systems, first-aid preparedness, regular emergency drills and crisis counseling.
Villar also cited Senate Bill No. 2133, or the proposed Students’ Guidance Counseling Act, which seeks to strengthen guidance and school-based mental health services.
Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva said the shooting was a painful reminder that children deserve a safe and secure learning environment.
Villanueva said reforms being pursued under the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, should also address the safety of students, who may be exposed to social and environmental risks.
He said he supports measures addressing school violence and strengthening security in schools, while also looking into possible legislation to tighten gun control and promote responsible firearms ownership, storage and safety.
“No weapon should ever find its way into a classroom or be used to cut short the life of a child,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva also pointed to his proposed SMART Kids Act, which seeks stronger safeguards against harmful online content and practices that may put children at risk. He said legislation seeking to restrict social media access for children is among the priorities under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Senator Paolo "Bam" Aquino IV also expressed grief over the incident, saying it was heartbreaking that a place where children’s hopes and dreams are nurtured had become a scene of fear and violence.
“Nakadudurog ng puso ang mabalitaan ang nangyaring karahasan sa Zamboanga kaninang umaga (It is heartbreaking to hear about the violence that took place in Zamboanga this morning),” Aquino said, offering his condolences to the families and friends of those who died and to the entire community affected by the shooting.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said it was difficult to accept that the Philippines was facing another school shooting, adding that it was too early to determine whether the Zamboanga incident was connected to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) or other online communities being examined following the Tacloban shooting.
Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said the committee would continue its work on NVE, online grooming for serious violent activity and other threats to children's safety at its next hearing on Thursday.
She said the hearings would seek to determine what changes are needed in schools and online environments to prevent similar incidents.
"Hindi dapat matutong mabuhay sa ganitong takot ang ating mga pamilya. Makakaasa kayo na gagawin natin ang lahat upang mapakilos ang gobyerno at maprotektahan ang ating mga anak (Our families should not have to learn to live with this kind of fear. You can count on us to do everything we can to mobilize the government and protect our children)," she said.