Tacloban shooting: Cebu City police ready to help track down gun owner

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is prepared to assist investigators in locating the Cebu City-based security agency linked to one of the firearms allegedly used in the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.

However, it has yet to receive a formal directive to join the investigation.

Police Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy city director for administration and spokesperson of the CCPO, said on Tuesday, June 23, that the office has not received any specific instruction from higher headquarters regarding the ongoing probe being led by the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8).

READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban

“I’m sure there’s an investigation being done by PRO-8, and there is already coordination between PRO-8 and the Regional Civil Security Unit 7 (RCSU-7) regarding where the firearm used by the suspect is currently registered. But as far as the CCPO is concerned, we have not yet received any particular instruction or directive from our regional director regarding the investigation,” Oriol said during a press conference.

“However, if there is one, we are willing to assist the investigation in any way we can to further strengthen the investigation, particularly in locating and interviewing the owner of the security agency so that more questions in the investigation can be answered,” he added.

READ: Tacloban school shooting: Number of wounded, injured now at 20

The statement came a day after police authorities disclosed that one of the guns recovered from the two teenage suspects involved in the San Jose National High School shooting in Tacloban City was registered to a security agency based in Cebu City.

Investigators form the Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) recovered a caliber .38 revolver and a 9mm pistol from the two suspects, aged 14 and 15.

READ: Tacloban shooting: Padilla seeks amendment of Juvenile Justice Act

According to Police Colonel Allen Rae Co, chief of the Philippine National Police Public Information Office, the 9mm Glock pistol had been issued to a policewoman assigned to PRO-8, while the caliber .38 revolver was registered to a Cebu City security agency.

Authorities have since launched parallel investigations to determine how the firearms ended up in the hands of the minors.

Possible liability of security agency

Asked whether the security agency could face liability if investigators confirm that the firearm used in the crime came from its inventory, Oriol said administrative accountability may arise depending on the findings of the investigation.

“Although I am not in a position to speak on behalf of RCSU-7, based on my knowledge, there is corresponding administrative liability for a security agency if a firearm it issues ends up being used in a crime,” he said.

“But I cannot go beyond that because the matter is still under investigation and is beyond my authority. I am sure there is already coordination among the concerned offices,” Oriol added.

The Regional Civil Security Unit supervises and regulates private security agencies, including the registration, issuance, and monitoring of firearms assigned to security personnel.

Reminder on firearm safekeeping

Oriol also used the incident to remind firearm holders, particularly police personnel, of their responsibility to secure government-issued weapons at all times.

He said several police officers had previously faced administrative sanctions after failing to properly secure their firearms, which were later on stolen, lost, or used without their knowledge.

“In fact, many police personnel have already been suspended in similar situations,” Oriol said.

“There were instances when firearms were stolen and later used without the knowledge of their owners after suspects managed to gain access to them. In those cases, the police officer concerned is held accountable and undergoes an investigation.”

He stressed that police officers must strictly follow protocols requiring them to keep firearms secured and inaccessible to unauthorized individuals.

“There are protocols that we follow. Firearms must be secured at all times so that no one else can access them because only the authorized police officer has authority over that firearm. Failure to do so carries administrative liability,” he said.

Oriol urged gun owners to exercise the same level of responsibility.

“My appeal is simple: secure your firearms. Be mindful of where you keep them. If you need to leave them behind, there are armories available. If they are kept at home, make sure no one else can access them,” he said.

Tacloban shooting toll rises

Meanwhile, authorities reported that the number of students wounded in Monday’s shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City has climbed to 20.

Lieutenant Colonel Analiza Armeza, spokesperson of PRO-8, said 15 students sustained gunshot wounds while five others suffered injuries during the panic that followed the attack.

All injured victims remain confined in various hospitals.

Police maintained that the death toll remains at three despite social media reports claiming that another student had died.

“The number of casualties is still at three. Hopefully, this will remain,” Armeza said.

The two suspects, both students of the school, remain under the custody of the Tacloban City Social Welfare and Development Office while police continue processing evidence and conducting interviews.

Investigators have yet to establish a motive behind the attack, which left three students dead and became one of the deadliest school-related shootings ever recorded in Eastern Visayas.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.