Sara Duterte urges gov't to 'act now' to make schools safer

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday called on the national government to implement immediate measures to make schools safer and ensure better protection of students, following the fatal shooting in a Tacloban City school.

Duterte, former secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), stressed that the Tacloban shooting was not the first time learners were harmed either inside schools or during school activities, citing the deaths of two Ateneo student-athletes, Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, during a training camp.

“The continuing loss of young lives should serve as a wake-up call to this administration. The government must act now to make our schools safer and to better protect our learners,” she said.

The vice president also said that what children learn, who influences them, and the values they carry with them outside the classroom “are deeply intertwined with national security and stability.”

Therefore, she emphasized that the government must confront the “serious gaps” in its ability to protect the youth.

“Our learners must be protected from radical influences, whether they come from outside the school, from online platforms, or from individuals who take advantage of the vulnerabilities of young people," Duterte said.

"More importantly, they must be protected from abuse, neglect, and violence within the very institutions entrusted with their welfare,” she added.

Three people were killed in the shooting inside the San Jose National High School in Barangay San Jose, Tacloban City on Monday. Thirteen others were injured, the Philippine National Police said Tuesday.

Two of the minor-aged suspects were into police custody.

They underwent paraffin tests and medical examinations and were expected to be transferred to a CICL Center in Barangay Tagpuro in Tacloban City under the custody of the city social welfare and development office. —KG, GMA News