Fatal School Shooting in Tacloban City

On Monday, June 22, a tragic event unfolded in Tacloban City when a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old went on a shooting spree, leaving three students dead and 20 others injured. The incident has raised questions about the safety of our schools and the need for stricter security protocols.

What We Know So Far

The two minors, aged 14 and 15, were arrested immediately after the incident and are facing charges for the crime. The Department of Education (DepEd) has since released Department Order (DO) No. 6 in March, which provided guidelines for addressing learners' rights and protection concerns such as child abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying, and gender-based sexual harassment.

The DepEd has outlined several prevention strategies to ensure school safety, including requiring schools to develop a learner handbook, adopt a localized anti-bullying policy, and ban hazing and fraternities/sororities. Schools are also encouraged to install security equipment and closed-circuit television (CCTV) in strategic locations.

### Security Measures and Prohibited Items

A list of security measures for safety in schools includes hiring security personnel, enforcing visitor guidelines, conducting plain view inspections of vehicles entering the campus, and banning prohibited items such as firearms, explosives, and hazardous chemicals. The use of cellphones and other portable electronic devices is also banned for both students and teachers during instructional time, except for academic purposes and emergency situations.

### Bag Inspections

Conducting bag inspections is also part of the list. Bag inspections must be done by security personnel using non-contact methods such as full-body electronic scanners, bag scanners, handheld metal detectors, or search sticks. However, 'stop and frisk' procedures or physical pat-downs are not allowed.

### Lack of Protocols for Shooting

Education Secretary Sonny Angara revealed that the DepEd lacks protocols for active mass shooting inside school premises. Such violence, until recently, was almost unheard of in the country. The DepEd has since pledged to update its protocols to include guidelines on what to do during a shooting incident.

### PNP Response

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to intensify school monitoring, with Colonel Allen Rae Co announcing strategic deployment to school premises. However, he noted that positioning at least one police officer per school nationwide is not feasible.

### Education Secretary's Comments

Education Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged the lack of protocols for active mass shooting, stating, 'It's something we never thought was applicable. We just have to update it: What to do when you are trapped? What is the behavior to minimize loss and death?'

"We just have to update it: What to do when you are trapped? What is the behavior to minimize loss and death?" – Education Secretary Sonny Angara

The DepEd has a long way to go in ensuring school safety, but it is a step in the right direction. As we continue to learn from this tragic incident, it is our hope that schools will become safer places for our children to learn and grow.