MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies concerned to investigate the shooting inside a university in Zamboanga where at least two students, one the gunman, died and nine others were injured on Tuesday, as he expressed grief over the incident and for the families who were affected by it.
In a statement, Marcos said such tragedies, as the one in Ateneo de Zamboanga, should never happen.
“Our schools are where we entrust our children to learn, to grow and to dream about the lives ahead of them. They must also be among the safest places in our country,” Marcos said.
Meanwhile lawmakers and other groups called for stronger measures to prevent the outbreak of violence inside campuses.
In a statement, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that strengthening school safety requires a comprehensive response that went beyond legislation and security measures as he condoled with the families and loved ones of the victims "I wholeheartedly extend my condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. I can feel the trauma experienced by the learners, parents, and staff members in the community," said Pangilinan, himself a parent.
Pangilinan called for stronger school safety measures, including increased funding for guidance counselors, psychologists and mental health services. He also urged authorities to address online bullying, cyber “terror-grooming” and the spread of violent content, while calling for tighter gun ownership regulations.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, 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, chairman 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 were needed in schools and online environments to prevent similar incidents.
"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," Hontiveros said.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called for stronger efforts to prevent school violence and promote values that uphold human life following the shooting.
In a statement offering prayers for the victims, Cayetano expressed solidarity with the people of Zamboanga, including those wounded in the incident, their families and others affected by the tragedy.
The senator said school violence must never become normalized, emphasizing that schools should remain safe spaces where young people can learn and develop without fear.
"Our schools must remain safe spaces where young people can learn without fear and grow with values that uphold the dignity of every human life," Cayetano said.
Cayetano linked the call to his proposed Filipino Identity in Values Act, which seeks to make such principles a shared foundation of Filipino identity.
At the House of Representatives, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. renewed his call for the swift passage of House Bill 10330 lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 for children proven to have acted with discernment in the most serious offenses. It also defines discernment and establishes a rebuttable presumption of discernment for specified grave crimes.
It also seeks to hold parents and guardians accountable for grossly negligent supervision, including allowing children access to firearms and deadly weapons and mandates online-safety and media-literacy education and school-safety and threat-assessment protocols involving the Department of Education, Philippine National Police and local governments. It would also impose liability on firearm owners or others who provide a child with a firearm or negligently allow access to one later used in a crime.
The bill was filed days after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where three children were killed and about 20 others were wounded.
Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña called for immediate action to prevent a similar incident in the future.
De Lima warned about the influence of social media and video games on young people.
“The bad side of social media and video games exerting pernicious influence on young people are now in full view. Forms of violence never seen before in our country. Urgent and effective safeguards are needed to prevent similar tragic incidents.” She extended her condolences to the victims’ families and called for the recovery and support of those affected.
Cendaña said the shooting, which involved a minor, was both “disheartening and alarming” and lamented that violence in schools appeared to be becoming normalized.
Cendaña urged the government to provide medical and psychosocial support to victims, survivors and their families. He also called on Congress to pass the Child Safety Against Gun Violence Act to restrict minors’ access to firearms and make schools gun-free zones.
“As Congress deliberates the proposed 2027 National Budget, we must also ensure greater funding for mental health programs and psychosocial support for children and young people in tandem with strengthening prevention and early intervention programs that can address violence before it happens,” the solon said.
Deputy Speaker David Suarez called for passage of House Bill 9825, or the Digital Safety of Minors Act, after the shooting was livestreamed on Facebook.
“That this tragedy was broadcast live on a social media platform underscores the urgent need to protect our young people not only in physical spaces but also in the digital world,” Suarez said.
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal renewed his call for passage of House Bill 10543, or the Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Act of 2026 that would establish a national school safety framework and require regular risk assessments, emergency preparedness plans and confidential reporting channels.
“Amidst this sorrow, we feel even more strongly the urgent need to take action. It is time to push for and pass House Bill No. 10543, or the Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Act of 2026,” Nazal said.
Nazal also urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the bill as urgent, saying stronger mechanisms were needed to protect students and teachers.
In solidarity
The Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) said its thoughts were with the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU).
In a statement, the university said their thoughts were with the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost in the shooting.
“Violence in any form is abhorrent, most especially when it results in the loss of young lives. We condemn, in no uncertain terms, the senseless violence that took the lives of members of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University community,” Ateneo said.
“We know that the wounds from tragedy run deep, even as we grieve with the entire AdZU community. We pray that the wounded recover quickly, and offer our solidarity with their family and friends as they seek to understand the horror that has befallen their loved ones,” it added.
The Quezon City-based university said schools should be safe spaces for learners of all ages.
“We are perplexed and alarmed how young adults are able to access dangerous weapons and bring them to institutions meant for learning and growth. We call on the authorities to swiftly investigate the matter to give clarity to those victimized by armed violence,” it said.
Tighter campus security
The Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition (SKC) called for tighter campus security, expanded youth mental health programs and stronger gun-control measures.
In a statement issued Aug. 18, said that the incident highlighted concerns over the security of educational institutions and the need for a broader response to violence involving young people.
The group called for an inquiry into how a firearm was brought onto the school grounds and urged educational institutions, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, to review and enforce security protocols aimed at preventing unauthorized weapons from entering campuses.
SKC said that such measures should respect the rights of students and members of the school community.
The coalition also urged the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and local government units to establish and fund mental health programs in schools, including access to mental health professionals, peer support networks and counseling services.
