More lawmakers back pursuit of justice for Tacloban shooting victims

MANILA, Philippines — More lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, reiterated the need to pursue justice for the victims of the Tacloban school shooting incident, as authorities try to resolve the matter and prevent similar cases in the future.

In a statement on Wednesday, Romualdez’s office said that the lawmaker visited the wake of the three students who died, to pay his respects to the bereaved families.

Romualdez also checked on the victims who are still receiving medical attention. According to Romualdez’s office, the former Speaker assured the families of support in their quest for justice.

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“We are here to check on the families and support their call for justice,” Romualdez said.

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Reports show that three students died after two minors — who are also students — opened fire inside the campus of the San Jose National High School in Tacloban. At least 20 individuals were wounded after the incident.

According to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co, crime scene investigators were able to recover 34 cartridges — indicating that one of the two gunmen fired at least 33 gunshots, and reloaded the pistol that he used.

READ: 14-year-old gunman in Tacloban shooting fired at least 33 shots – PNP

According to the Police Regional Office-Eastern Visayas (PRO-8), both suspects — who are also students — have been arrested. PRO 8 director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy told reporters that the first culprit was arrested inside the school, while the second one was arrested in a nearby barangay.

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He identified the suspects as boys aged 14 and 15, both Grade 9 students. A Glock pistol and a caliber .38 revolver were confiscated from them, Capoy added.

READ: Both suspects in Tacloban City school shooting arrested — police

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More lawmakers speak out

Aside from Romualdez, other lawmakers like Manila Rep. Joel Chua also said that while the recent spate of violence in schools is alarming, there are other ways to resolve the matter without lowering the age of criminal liability.

According to Chua, existing laws — Republic Act No. 9344  or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 — was not the one who inspired or caused children to commit crimes.

Chua said that individuals of legal age may also be held liable if found that they “enabled, facilitated, or failed to prevent the crime.”

“At the same time, parents, school officials, firearm owners, and other adults who enabled, facilitated, or failed to prevent the crime may also be held liable. The law is not powerless. The challenge is enforcing it properly and holding all responsible parties accountable,” Chua said.

“Over the past years, cursing, disrespect, threats, and violent behavior has been normalized. Children learn from what they see from elders. If they see cursing, threats, and violent actions as a normal, everyday thing accepted by society, it is not surprising that there are young people who think this is normal behavior,” he added.

Deputy Speaker David Suarez, on the other hand, called for the immediate passage of a proposed Digital Safety of Minors Act, which seks to protect the youth from harmful information online.

“What happened in Tacloban is a painful reminder that we have to be more serious in protecting our children — inside schools, our homes, and even in the digital world that we move through everyday,” he said.

“We cannot disregard the effects of harmful content, cyberbullying, online exploitation, and bad influence on the youth. If children are left in digital spaces without the proper guidance and protection, the risks associated with their safety, mindset, and personal development is in danger,” he added.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, meanwhile, urged the Department of Education to ensure safety of schools while addressing the growing “culture of silence” among bullying victims, as there are rumors that the gunmen were either bullied or were bullies.

“The shooting incident is extremely alarming and troubling, as schools are meant to be safe spaces for students. Bullying has no place in our educational institutions,” he said.

“Guns should not be brought inside a school.  We are calling on the appropriate agencies to do a thorough investigation and look at the possible lapses in security inside the schools.  Along with this, we need to strengthen steps to ensure the safety of our students,” he added.

Several lawmakers have already condemned the incident last Monday. Among them is Romualdez, who assured the public that his office has been coordinating with local authorities and government agencies to identify what kind of aid can be provided to families affected by the shooting incident.

Tingog party-list, which originated from the Eastern Visayas where Tacloban is situated, also called for a “swift and impartial investigation” regarding how this incident happened, and how firearms slipped through security examination at the school’s entry points.

Tingog’s lawmakers in the 20th Congress are Rep. Jude Acidre, and Romualdez’s wife and son, Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Andrew Julian Romualdez.

READ: Lawmakers call for probe into Tacloban City school shooting

On Tuesday, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said that the shooting incident in Tacloban only highlights the need for stronger mechanisms regarding support to youth and protection of schools.

In a statement, Dy said the House supports a thorough and impartial investigation on the shooting incident, to prevent similar incidents.

READ: Dy: Tacloban shooting highlights need to strengthen youth support

Dy urged authorities to quickly resolve the case as schools should be places of learning and safety. /das

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