Teacher traumatized recalling deaths of students in Tacloban school shooting

A teacher at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City said she broke down while recounting the aftermath of the school shooting.

Two of the three fatalities were her students, while the other was one of the alleged shooters, according to teacher Edita Sayong.

Sayong said she was overwhelmed with trauma and grief as she approached the room where the victims were found.

"Palapit na sa doon sa room, nagna-numb na iyong buong katawan ko. Papalapit sa room, hindi ko na kinaya, nag-breakdown ako, nag-faint na ako," she said in a "24 Oras" report by Raffy Tima.

Sayong will undergo psychological counselling offered to the school personnel to help them cope with the impact of the tragedy.

Two minors – one aged 14, the other 15 – went on a shooting spree at the high school on Monday morning. Three were killed, and 20 were hurt in the incident.

In his visit to the school, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the two suspects are being strictly monitored in one of the facilities of the agency for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).

"They will stay in one of our shelters; the facility is dedicated to CICL," he said.

Gatchalian added that the DSWD will focus on dealing with the mental health of the students, teachers, school personnel, and parents.

"Matagal itong paghilom na ito kaya nga kami kasama namin iyong mga policy experts Hindi aalis ang mga social workers sa mga apektado hangga't hindi maka-heal at maka move on," he said.

(Healing from this tragedy will take a long time. That is why, together with our policy experts, we will continue to support those affected. Our social workers will not leave them until they have healed and can move forward.)

Meanwhile, the public hailed RJ, a student, for helping rescue his fellow students after the shooting.

"Kinukuha ko iyong may mga sugat sa dibdib tapos pinasakay namin sa motor then pagbalik kinuha namin mga babae na," said RJ

(I carried those who had gunshot wounds to the chest and helped put them on a motorcycle. When I came back, we then took the female victims.)

Two of the victims who died and one of the shooters are his classmates.

RJ recalled going back to the scene four times to rescue his classmates. The fifth time, he said he was led to an ambulance because his shirt was soaked with blood.

Told that the people regarded him as a hero, he said, "Parang hindi naman, ginawa ko lang ang dapat kong gawin. (Not really, I just did what I had to do.) —LDF, GMA News