SEN. Bong Go raised concern over security gaps in schools following a recent spate of deadly school shootings.
During the Senate hearing on the Zamboanga City school shooting on Thursday, Go cited Department of Education (DepEd) data showing that only a limited number of campuses have security cameras, metal detectors, and other safeguards to protect students and school personnel.
“During the recent hearing of the Committee on Basic Education on the proposed School Safety Act, DepEd reported that only around 36 percent of schools nationwide currently comply with key security measures,” he said.
Go also said that only around four out of every 10 schools have CCTV cameras, while only one in every 10 schools has metal detectors.
The figures highlighted the need to strengthen security and emergency preparedness in educational institutions, especially following recent incidents of violence inside schools, he said.
“As I always remind everyone, schools should remain zones of peace and learning. No student should ever be afraid at school, and no school should become a place of violence,” Go said.
Go, who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth, said the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University high school campus was particularly alarming because it came less than two months after another deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.
“The shooting in Tacloban was already alarming. Now, another school has once again been engulfed in fear and mourning,” he said.
The incidents were traumatic not only for students but also to parents, he added.
“These heartbreaking tragedies are warning signs that demand our immediate attention. They expose deeper gaps in school safety, child protection, mental health, and responsible firearms ownership. These are gaps that we can no longer ignore,” Go said.
“Findings related to the Tacloban shooting underscore the urgent need for clear emergency response protocols, better communication with parents, and stronger coordination among schools, local government, law enforcement agencies, and health authorities,” Go said.
He has filed Senate Bill 2413, or the proposed Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Bill, which seeks to establish a comprehensive school safety framework.
The proposed measure includes mandatory school safety plans, annual risk assessments, strengthened mental health interventions, and standardized emergency response protocols covering shootings, bullying, fires, disasters, and other emergencies.
