What are the past school shootings in PH?

The shooting at a school in Tacloban City – which left three students dead – is considered as the first case of mass school shooting in Philippine history.

According to Ivan Mayrina’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, there were other cases of shootings at other schools in past years even before Monday’s shooting incident.

Data from GMA News Research showed that in 2025, a student was shot by her ex-boyfriend inside a school in Nueva Ecija.

In the same year, a student shot a teacher inside a school in Lanao del Sur after the student received a failing grade. The teacher died in the incident.

In 2023, a medtech student was beaten up and shot by a classmate at a parking lot of a university in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Earlier in 2022, former Lamitan, Basilan Mayor Rose Furigao and two others were shot dead during a graduation ceremony at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

In 2019, a security guard shot a student at a high school in Calamba City, Laguna.

Even former President Rodrigo Duterte once shared a story about how he allegedly shot a classmate when he was still in law school.

“Itong [bleep] na ‘to, mga Bisaya... Nagkakalat sa mundo… Nasa corridor kami papasok, sabi ko sa kanya [bleep] ‘Pag tinamaan ako niyan, babarilin kita…’ Tinamaan ako sa ilong. Ay eh bang!’ Expelled!” Duterte said in April 2016.

(This… Visayan, they are all over the world. We were inside the corridor, I said, ‘If you hit me, I will shoot you.’ I got hit in the nose. Then, bang! Expelled!)

Following the shooting in Tacloban City, schools have begun implementing tighter security. However, police admitted that it is impossible to keep watch over all schools in the entire country.

“Hindi po talaga natin kaya lagyan ang lahat ng schools. There are more than 40,000 public schools and around 6,000 private schools all around the country. That makes it around a little less than 50,000. Kahit lagyan natin ng tig-iisa, wala na pong magagawa yung ano,” said Police Colonel Allan Rae Co, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

(We cannot assign policemen to all schools. There are more than 40,000 public schools and around 6,000 private schools all over the country. That makes it around a little less than 50,000. Even if we assign one to each school, they won’t be able to do anything else.)

The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) is in favor of measures to ensure school safety. It is also important to keep an eye on the psychological safety of children and helping out students who are going through challenges or are posting violent content on their social media accounts.

“These two guys, they could have already been showing us red flags, marami na silang pinapakitang triggers. Kaya lang hindi sila siguro napansin or hindi sila nabigyan ng importance (No one probably noticed that or they were not given importance),” said Dr. John Manuel Kliatchco of the PAP.

“Ang important pa din siguro na pwede natin isuggest, maliban sa security ay pag-iimplement natin ng changes siguro sa reporting mechanisms natin sa schools. Kung pwede natin sanang magkaroon tayo ng pamamaraan para mas makita natin if students, particularly, those that are possibly manifesting some red flags,” he added.

(The important thing is maybe we can suggest, aside from security is to implement changes in reporting mechanisms in schools. If we can have a way to see if students, particularly, those who are possibly manifesting some red flags.)

The Department of Education (DepEd) acknowledged that the issue is not just a security concern.

“Di lang siya peace and order problem. Kailangan i-manage ang mga bata, kasi parang exposed ang mga bata sa violence online. Tapos marami wala ring magulang,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

“It’s not just a peace and order problem. The children should be managed, because they are exposed to violence online, and many don’t have parents.)

Dr. Malcolm Garma, DepEd undersecretary for operations, said the agency will hire more guidance counselors.

“We will be hiring more guidance counselor associates who will be performing the same function. Kasi po ang nakita namin, importante na merong nakakausap ‘yung ating mga mag-aaral at nailalabas ang kanilang saloobin (We are seeing that it is important that learners have someone to talk to and are able to express what they are feeling),” Garma said. — JMA, GMA News