MALACAÑANG on Tuesday slammed Vice President Sara Duterte after she blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the recent school shooting in which three students died in South Cotabato.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro rejected Duterte’s accusation that Marcos failed the victims of the Sept. 18 shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, saying the administration is actively pursuing concrete, multi-agency solutions.
“We cannot force someone to understand when he or she is unwilling to understand or just can’t understand,” Castro said.
Castro said that addressing youth violence requires recognizing modern digital influences, such as online gaming apps and unmonitored chat groups, which cannot be solved by simple political rhetoric.
“These are uncharacteristic situations heavily influenced by hidden online interactions that parents and teachers cannot easily see,” Castro said.
Castro maintained that the administration is already executing targeted interventions, including guidance seminars, trauma-informed care modules for teachers, and safety protocols.
Castro said stemming campus violence and the normalization of hostility online requires a “whole-of-nation approach” rather than political fault-finding.
“We see harassment and extreme vulgarity normalized on social media, which affects the mental state of our youth,” Castro said. “All of us must work together to combat this toxic culture and guide our children properly.” The Palace reiterated that law enforcement agencies are currently tightening firearm custody rules and pushing for stricter statutory penalties for illegal gun possession to prevent weapons from reaching minors.
The Palace also said that President Marcos is open to the proposed congressional franchise for social media platforms being called by several lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable in the distribution of violent content that minors can see online.
