FOLLOWING Monday’s fatal school shooting in Tacloban City, Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines on Tuesday called on the government, schools, and civil society to start “necessary conversations” on school safety.
“We call on the government, schools, and civil society to start the necessary conversations about how we can make schools safer, prevent bullying and other forms of violence, and ensure that children have access to the support they need for their mental health and in times of distress,” CRN said in a statement.
The group mourned with the families of the three students who were killed in Monday’s shooting at San Jose National High School.
“Schools are meant to be safe spaces where children can learn, play, build healthy relationships, and discover who they want to become. They are not meant, and should never become, places where children, teachers, and school personnel have to run, hide, or fear for their lives,” the group said.
“As we grieve, we must be willing to face the harder truth that violence does not exist in a vacuum. There are conditions that may have contributed to this tragedy, placed children at risk, or pushed them into conflict with the law,” they added.
The group said guns have no place in schools and should never be in the hands of the children.
“We call for greater accountability and scrutiny of the children’s possession of weapons. Guns have no place in schools and should never fall into the hands of children,” the group said.
“As more information comes to light, we hope this tragedy serves not only as a moment of grief, but also a time to reflect on how we can better protect children from violence or prevent it from taking root in their lives,” the advocacy group added.
CRN informed the public that should there be a child needing counseling, they can call the Makabata hotline at 1383 for proper intervention.
Meanwhile, late on Monday, Akbayan party-list expressed deep concern over the incident.
“We call on the Philippine National Police, the Department of Education, and all concerned agencies to conduct thorough, impartial investigations. Justice must be ensured for the victims and their families, while also examining the broader social and institutional factors that may be driving violence among young people, with prevention as the goal,” the party-list said.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant in demanding justice while resisting calls for draconian responses that may deepen fear and insecurity rather than address the roots of the problem. True public safety requires effective prevention, support systems, and accountable institutions. No parent should lose a child to school violence, and every student deserves a safe, nurturing environment free from fear and harm,” they added.
The Philippine office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said the shooting caused fear and distress among learners, teachers, parents and communities.
“Violence has no place in schools. The involvement of minors, as both victims and alleged perpetrators, further underscores the urgent need for strengthened prevention of violence and protection, and mental health support systems for children,” Unicef said.
“When violence enters classrooms and school grounds as well as its surroundings, it shatters not only young lives but also the trust of families and communities in the very institutions meant to protect and empower children,” they added.
Age of criminal responsibility
Also on Tuesday, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra) expressed alarm over the call of Sen. Robinhood Padilla to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) following the school shooting in Tacloban City.
In a statement, Pahra expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, but said the tragedy “should not be exploited to revive proposals that have repeatedly been criticized by child rights advocates.”
“Every time a crime involving children makes headlines, Senator Padilla’s solution is always the same: lower the age of criminal responsibility.... But have you ever asked what interventions actually prevent children from committing violence? Have you explored reforms that strengthen mental health support, anti-bullying programs, family interventions, and child rehabilitation instead of simply making children easier to imprison?” Pahra Secretary-General Edgar Cabalitan said.
He emphasized that children in conflict with the law do not “walk free” under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and remain subject to “intervention, accountability measures, rehabilitation, and restorative justice mechanisms appropriate to their age and development.”
“The public should stop believing the false narrative that children are exempt from accountability. They are not. The law simply recognizes that children require restoration, not retaliation. Justice is not measured by how young we imprison people,” Cabalitan said.
“If bullying was identified as the trigger, why is the conversation immediately about punishment instead of prevention? If there were missed warning signs, why aren’t we talking about strengthening schools, mental health services, and child protection systems? The answer to a broken system is not to criminalize children earlier,” he added.
The group argued that lowering the MACR could only do little to prevent similar tragedies and urged lawmakers to pursue evidence-based and child-centered reforms, instead of stating “punitive” responses that failed to reduce crimes.
“Children need accountability, but accountability should lead to restoration — not lifelong criminalization. If we truly want safer communities, we must invest in preventing violence, not simply lowering the age at which we punish it,” Cabalitan said.
