From Duterte’s 1972 shooting story to Tacloban: School violence in PH

Long before he became president, Rodrigo Duterte was linked to one of the earliest and most controversial school shooting incidents in the Philippines.

The account came from Duterte himself, who said during a campaign speech in Iloilo City in 2016 that he shot a fraternity brother at San Beda College in Manila in 1972 after being bullied for being Bisaya.

“I waited for him, I told myself I’ll teach him a lesson,” Duterte said.

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READ: Law student Duterte shot frat brod on campus in ’72

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“I said, you son of a b*tch, if I get hit, I will shoot you,” Duterte said, recalling that he was in a corridor when the student was pushing people around.

“I was hit in the nose […] Bang,” he said.

The victim, Duterte’s fraternity brother at Lex Talionis, survived. Duterte said he was barred from joining the graduation rites and returned home to Davao City by boat to avoid authorities who were looking for him.

His revelation drew applause from the crowd.

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More than five decades later, the Philippines is grappling with what appears to be one of its deadliest school shootings after two Grade 9 and Grade 10 students, ages 15 and 14, opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on Monday, June 22.

READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban

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The attack killed three students and wounded at least 20 others.

READ: Number of wounded due to Tacloban school shooting now at 20

A teacher said one of the suspects fired indiscriminately from outside a classroom window before entering classrooms filled with 40 to 50 students.

While school attacks remain relatively rare in the Philippines compared with countries such as the United States, the Tacloban City incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks inside schools over the years.

Student kills classmate, 2015

Allison Hecita, a 21-year-old HRM student, stabbed and killed his classmate, Jay Mark Barlan, also 21, inside their classroom at Cabalum Western College in Iloilo City.

READ: Student stabs, kills classmate due to bullying

Based on a police investigation, Barlan was about to enter the classroom at about 8 a.m. when Hecita stabbed him. Hecita said he attacked Barlan because he was tired of the victim’s constant bullying.

Teacher stabbed inside classroom, 2016

Vilma Cabactulan, a teacher at Pedro “Oloy” N. Roa National High School in Cagayan de Oro City, was stabbed to death by her 15-year-old student.

Based on a police investigation, the student held a grudge against Cabactulan because the teacher had allegedly reprimanded the student several times.

The victim sustained three stab wounds in the back.

Teacher stabbed to death, 2018

Mylene Durante, a public school teacher, was stabbed to death in Oringon Elementary School in Pio Duran, Albay, on the evening of Oct. 9, 2018.

The victim sustained several deadly stab wounds, while her two child companions sustained minor wounds. They were staying at the principal’s office in consideration of the teacher, who lived in a remote area.

READ: Public school teacher stabbed to death in Albay

The “person of interest” was identified as a 17-year-old Grade 8 student.

Police said it was possible that the suspect had attempted to rape the victim.

Grade 7 student shot inside classroom, 2019

A Grade 7 student died after he was shot inside a public school classroom in Barangay Masili, Calamba City, Laguna, on July 4, 2019.

READ: Teen ‘brain dead’ after being shot inside a school in Laguna

An initial investigation showed the victim was having lunch inside the classroom when the suspect, identified as Renz Ivan Balderama and said to be in his 30s, entered the room and shot the student twice.

The suspect allegedly had a relationship with the 15-year-old victim.

Ateneo graduation shooting, 2022

Former Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay, her longtime executive assistant Victor Capistrano, and Ateneo de Manila University security personnel Jeneven Bandiala were killed in a shooting incident inside the university on July 24, 2022.

READ: Ex-mayor, 2 others killed in Ateneo

The suspect, identified as Chao Tiao Yumol, 33, a doctor from Lamitan City, appeared to have a grudge against Furigay, who had filed cyberlibel cases against him that resulted in Yumol’s suspension.

Stabbing inside Isabela school, 2023

Two students, ages 15 and 16, were stabbed by a 13-year-old schoolmate on Jan. 16, 2023.

The stabbing happened inside Cauayan City National High School in Cauayan City, Isabela. The suspect told radio station Bombo Radyo that it was “self-defense” against the victims, whom he said had bullied and beaten him up.

Student stabs classmate, 2023

A 13-year-old male student was stabbed and killed by his 15-year-old classmate inside Culiat High School in Quezon City at 5:45 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2023.

The National Capital Region Police Office said that the Grade 7 victim, who was from Jolo, Sulu, was pronounced dead at New Era General Hospital after suffering a stab wound in the chest.

READ: Stabbing in QC school shines light on urgency of addressing campus violence in PH

Investigation showed that the victim and the suspect, who were classmates, had a misunderstanding over jealousy.

Classroom shots, 2024

A 12-year-old Grade 7 student fired indiscriminately inside their classroom at Negros Oriental High School on Oct. 11, 2024.

READ: Dumaguete Grade 7 student fires gun inside classroom

Police investigation showed the student took a firearm from his bag, pointed it through the classroom window and fired indiscriminately. No one was harmed.

Student kills teacher over failing grade, 2025

Police arrested a 20-year-old Grade 11 student in Lanao del Sur six days after he killed his teacher at Balabagan Trade School over a failing grade.

The victim, 34-year-old Danilo Barba, was about to enter the school in Barangay Narra when he was shot by “Kaizer” with a .45-caliber pistol.

Teen shoots student, kills himself, 2025

A 15-year-old victim, identified only as “Lea,” was in her classroom during a break when the assailant, identified as 18-year-old “Leo,” entered and shot her before turning the firearm on himself inside a classroom at Santa Rosa Integrated School in Barangay Rizal, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija.

READ: Nueva Ecija classroom shooting spurs calls for tighter school security

Both died.

Stabbing incidents in Cavite, 2026

On June 16, a Grade 8 student entered a classroom at Bethel Academy School in General Trias City, Cavite, carrying a kitchen knife and attacked younger pupils. Seven Grade 5 students were wounded.

READ: Seven Grade 5 students injured in Cavite school stabbing

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Three days later, on June 19, an 18-year-old Grade 11 student was wounded after being stabbed by a fellow student inside Cavite National High School-Senior High School after a heated argument escalated into a fight. /dm