Tacloban shooting: Father recalls Chris Fabian's final act in interview

Chris Lorenz Fabian's final act of closing a classroom door to protect his classmates from a teenage shooter reflected the kindness for which he was known, his father told GMA News on Tuesday night.

In an interview on "24 Oras," Christopher Fabian told GMA anchor Mel Tiangco that the 15-year-old wanted to have many friends and, when he was alive, even opened a tab at the school canteen for his needy classmates.

“Actually po, napakabait po na bata po ’yan. Simula maliit hanggang ngayon, napakabait na. Kaya po siguro naisip niyang iligtas ‘yung mga kasama niya kaysa sa sarili niya, para bang parang Boy Scout ba. ‘Yun man ang pangarap niya, Boy Scout po,” Christopher Fabian said in an interview on “24 Oras” Tuesday.

(He was actually such a very kind child. From the time he was little up until now, he has always been good. That is probably why he chose to save his classmates instead of himself—it was like being a boy scout. That was really his dream, to be a boy scout.)

Chris was one of the three high school students who died after two of their schoolmates, aged 14 and 15, shot up the school on Monday morning. One of the minors used the service pistol of an aunt, a policewoman. The other used a revolver registered to a security agency in Cebu.

Police are looking into claims that the suspects have been bullied and only planned to scare when they brought guns into the school.

Christopher said his son was the one being bullied at school, not the bully.

“Sa totoo lang po, ma’am, siya po ‘yung… siya po 'yung talagang binubully. Pero di man siya nagkukwan sa ‘min, nagsusumbong, kaya kasi po gusto niya marami siyang kaibigan,” Fabian said.

(To be honest, ma'am, he was actually... he was really the one being bullied. But he never told us or complained, because he just wanted to have a lot of friends.)

He added that his son always loved helping others, often sharing his own money so that his classmates would have something to eat.

“Halimbawa gusto niyang tumulong sa mga nagugutom, nag-iiwan siya ng pera doon sa canteen. Kunwari sabi niya, yung mga nagugutom, mag-iwan ako ng pera dito, ililibre ko na lang,” he added.

(For example, because he wanted to help those who were hungry, he would leave money at the canteen. He would say, 'I'll leave money here to treat anyone hungry.’)

In a “24 Oras” report by Emil Sumangil, Chris’ grandmother, Aleth, shared about her grandson’s kindness during the shooting.

“Kasi po nakabukas ‘yung pintuan, naririnig nila yung putukan. Sinarado niya yung pinto, hinihila naman nung gunman yung pinto. Hindi niya binitawan, nagalit ‘yung gunman, binaril ‘yung pintuan lumusot po sa kamay at sa heart, sa lungs niya,” Aleth Fabian said.

(Because the door was open, they could hear the gunshots. He closed the door, but the gunman was pulling it from the other side. He didn't let go, which made the gunman angry. The gunman shot through the door, and the bullet went through his hand, his heart, and his lungs.)

“Sabi po nila hero siya kasi kung hindi daw po niya ginawa 'yon, marami pa raw pong mamatay sa mga kaklase niya,” she added.

(They say he's a hero because if it weren't for what he did, many more of his classmates would have lost their lives.)

Another video showed Chris lying bleeding on the floor.

Chris’ grandmother shared that her grandson told the teachers and classmates who were trying to help him to run and save themselves. –Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/NB, GMA News