LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday urged Congress to enact stronger sanctions against the improper handling of firearms, after two Grade 9 boys killed three of their classmates and 20 others in a school shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte, on Monday.
While there are millions of gun owners in the Philippines, Remulla pointed out that the law only provides very low culpability in case they are mishandled.
In the fatal school shooting in Tacloban, the two minor suspects obtained guns from an aunt who is a member of the police force and a security guard. The two went on a shooting rampage, killing three classmates and injuring 20.
The police woman aunt of the 14-year-old suspect was already relieved from her post and is set to face malversation and administrative sanctions for negligence, while the security agency may face the revocation of its license to operate for failing to report a lost firearm.
Remulla said the responsibility of securing firearms rests on the adults to prevent young family members from gaining access to them.
“I firmly believe that all gun owners must be responsible for their safekeeping. The firearm should be kept safe under lock and key. One hundred percent of the time, the owner must be responsible,” he said in Filipino.
Report threats immediately
Remulla also urged the public to immediately report threats of violence, including planned attacks shared online, through the Unified 911 emergency hotline following the swift response of authorities to an alleged threat against students of Tolosa National High School in Tolosa, Leyte.
Remulla said early reporting could help law enforcement prevent possible incidents, stressing that any warning of violence must be treated seriously until authorities verify and neutralize the threat.
“Any threat is considered live until it is neutralized,” Remulla said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief appealed to internet and social media users to alert authorities if they encounter posts, messages or online discussions involving possible mass shootings or other violent acts.
“If you see any threat, imminent threat or chatter in group discussions about someone planning a mass shooting or violence, please call 911 and inform us right away,” he said.
Authorities acted after a threatening social media post circulated online warning of a possible shooting or stabbing incident at Tolosa National High School, alarming students, parents, school officials and residents.
Remulla said Sen. Bam Aquino called him Wednesday night to report the chatter about a student’s plan to carry out another mass shooting or stabbing aimed at fellow students at Tolosa National High School.
Aquino got the tip from an informant in Tacloban when he went there after the shooting at San Jose National High School to check on the situation.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group later traced the post to a 14-year-old Grade 10 student from the same school who allegedly created multiple social media accounts to spread the threat.
Authorities said the threat was eventually declared neutralized after their investigation found no evidence of an organized plan, accomplices or access to firearms.
Remulla said the incident showed the importance of immediate coordination between the public and law enforcement, especially following the recent school shooting in Tacloban City.
The DILG secretary said the Unified 911 system could help prevent similar incidents by allowing authorities to quickly respond to reports of potential violence.
“It will go a long way in stopping a repeat of what happened last Monday,” Remulla said.
No jail time for shooter
Remulla also reiterated his call to Congress to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, saying the law should place greater emphasis on an offender’s intent and level of discernment rather than age alone.
During a press conference at Camp Crame, Remulla said the deadly shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte, underscores the need to revisit the current law governing juvenile offenders.
Leaked conversation showed the attack was planned, and the shooters looked into the juvenile justice law, which gave them assurance that they would be spared from jail time.
Under Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a child 15 years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program.
Whereas a child above 15 years but below 18 shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and subject to intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment. In such a case, a child shall be subjected to appropriate proceedings as dictated by law.
Initial investigation established that the 14-year-old suspect used a Glock 17 pistol owned by his aunt, a police officer in Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas, while the 15-year-old suspect was armed with a.38-caliber revolver registered in a security agency in Cebu.
Investigation also showed that the 14-year–old suspect was the one who fired more, because the 40 slugs recovered in the crime scene all came from the Glock pistol and only one came from the revolver, establishing the fact that the younger suspect did most of the shooting.
Yet, only the 15-year-old suspect was charged and the 14-year-old, because of his age, will only undergo intervention provided by law.
“I think age is not important. But cognizance and intent are the most important factors,” he said.
“I strongly recommend to Congress that we work together to come up with a more comprehensive law on juvenile justice,” he said.
As to the exact age, he said he would have to study it with Congress. In related developments, two House lawmakers have filed separate resolutions calling for a probe in the school shooting in Tacloban City, pushing for stronger child protection and school safety measures. Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio filed separate resolutions on Thursday urging several House committees to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the shooting at San Jose National High School on June 23 that led to the deaths of three students.
The Liberal Party of the Philippines on Thursday condemned the spread of artificial intelligence videos surrounding the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, particularly involving its principal author, Sen. Francis Pangilnan. In a statement, the party said the “irresponsible and malicious” actions on social media do nothing to achieve justice and called on social media platforms to strengthen their mechanisms against the manipulation of young people.
