Iloilo City schools tighten security after Tacloban shooting

ILOILO CITY — Public schools in Iloilo City have tightened security measures, while police and education officials are pushing for additional safeguards following Monday’s deadly shooting inside a school in Tacloban City that left three students dead.

READ: School shooting kills three students

At least two public schools in Iloilo City have stepped up inspections at their gates, with guards confiscating prohibited items like scissors, lighters, and vape devices from students.

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Photos posted by local media showed school personnel at the annex campus of Lapaz National High School in Barangay San Isidro conducting stricter inspections as part of heightened security protocols.

The move came a day after three students were killed inside the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which shocked the education sector and prompted schools across the region to review campus safety measures.

Iloilo City National High School Principal IV Alpha Java said the city’s largest public high school has long maintained stringent security measures and would be strictly enforced.

In an interview with RMN Iloilo, Java said the school employs 17 security guards with radio handsets to monitor the movements of students and visitors.

She added that metal detectors are already being used by security personnel, while closed-circuit television cameras have been installed in school buildings to enhance monitoring.

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Java said the school has also implemented campus zoning and controlled access systems. Grade 7 and Grade 8 students occupy a separate area with dedicated security personnel, gates, and canteen facilities, while Grade 10, 11, and 12 students use another section. Grade 9 learners and students enrolled in special programs are assigned to separate areas to help prevent bullying and other conflicts.

She also stressed that students are not allowed to leave the campus without clearance from security personnel.

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The Iloilo City Police Office has likewise intensified its presence in schools.

Police Col. Wilbert Parilla, ICPO director, said Police Assistance Desks (PADs) will be established in schools identified by the Schools Division of Iloilo City as needing additional security measures, particularly campuses that have recorded bullying complaints.

Aside from the regular deployment of police officers outside schools during peak hours, officers assigned to PADs will be stationed within school premises.

Parilla said the initiative is part of a coordinated effort between the police and the Schools Division of Iloilo City to prevent incidents similar to the Tacloban shooting.

READ: Number of wounded students in Tacloban school shooting now at 20

Meanwhile, Department of Education Regional Office VI Public Information Officer Hernani Escullar Jr. said the agency has recommended strengthening anti-bullying advocacy programs in schools.

Escullar also said education officials are proposing closer coordination with school division authorities for the procurement of additional metal detectors and installation of more CCTV cameras in schools.

The DepEd has yet to announce any regionwide policy changes, but education and police officials in Iloilo said they are taking proactive steps to ensure campuses remain safe learning environments.

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“The recommendation is to strengthen anti-bullying advocacy,” Escullar said, emphasizing that prevention efforts should go hand in hand with enhanced security measures./coa