Criminal raps vs 15-year-old; rehab for younger suspect

The Police Regional Office 8 has taken into custody two junior high school students allegedly involved in the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, on June 22, 2026. — Photos from Philippine News Agency/Facebook

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — Police authorities said they have built what they consider a strong and airtight case against one of the two students accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School on Monday, citing witness testimonies, forensic evidence and digital communications allegedly detailing plans for the attack.

The Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas on Tuesday night filed multiple criminal charges against the 15-year-old student identified only as “Rod,” marking the first major legal step in a case that has reignited debate over juvenile accountability and school violence.

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While the 15-year-old suspect could face criminal prosecution, the other suspect, a 14-year-old student identified by the alias “Nash” will undergo long-term rehabilitation under the country’s juvenile justice framework.

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The criminal complaint, filed through inquest proceedings before the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office, charges the minor suspect with three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries in connection with Monday’s attack.

The shooting left three students dead and 20 others injured, making it one of the deadliest school-related attacks in recent Philippine history.

READ: Police assures ‘airtight’ case vs Tacloban shooting suspect

Lt. Col. Analiza Armeza, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-8 (PRO-8), said investigators have gathered substantial evidence linking the teenager to the shooting, including positive paraffin test results and online conversations exchanged with a 14-year-old alleged accomplice before the incident.

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“We have filed the appropriate charges based on the evidence gathered during the investigation,” Armeza said.

READ: Tacloban school shooting a case of ‘bullying gone wrong’ – Remulla

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Investigators said the frustrated murder charges stemmed from three victims who sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds during the attack.

Case buildup

Authorities are also examining online messages allegedly exchanged by the two suspects discussing plans to attack the school. Police believe the communications could strengthen the prosecution’s case by helping establish intent and premeditation.

Paraffin tests conducted on both suspects reportedly yielded positive results for gunpowder residue, particularly on their right hands. Firearms recovered from the suspects also tested positive for nitrate traces, police said.

Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, PRO-8 director, said investigators ensured that evidence gathering and case buildup complied with due process requirements.

“We remain committed to establishing the truth and ensuring accountability under the law,” Capoy said.

The filing of charges comes as authorities continue investigating the motive behind the attack, with some officials pointing to bullying as a possible factor.

Bullying angle

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said initial reports indicated the shooting may have stemmed from long-standing bullying experienced by the suspects.

“Bullying gone wrong” was how Remulla described the incident, although he stressed that authorities were still awaiting the complete investigation report.

Police earlier disclosed that the suspects claimed they had experienced bullying and had also been heavily exposed to the online game GoreBox, which has since come under scrutiny following the tragedy.

The case has also drawn attention to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which exempts children age 15 and below from criminal liability while requiring intervention and rehabilitation measures.

Children above 15 but below 18 years old may still be held criminally liable if prosecutors establish that they acted with discernment.

Because the principal suspect is 15 years old, prosecutors will have to demonstrate that he understood the consequences of his actions at the time of the attack.

The legal situation differs for the alleged 14-year-old accomplice.

Juvenile justice questions

Under Republic Act 9344, children below 15 years old are exempt from criminal liability and are instead subjected to intervention and rehabilitation programs supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Armeza said the younger suspect has already been turned over to the DSWD.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said both minors are currently under government custody and undergoing assessment and intervention procedures.

“The social workers, based on the intake assessment, will come up with an intervention plan,” Gatchalian said. “It will take a long time.”

He also assured the victims’ families that neither suspect would be immediately returned to the community.

“They will not be returning to their community, at least not in the immediate future,” Gatchalian said.

Rehabilitation process

Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco said children age 15 and below who commit serious offenses may be placed in an Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center, a specialized facility under the Bahay Pag-asa system.

The court may order a child to remain in such a facility for at least one year while rehabilitation and psychiatric assessments are conducted.

As the criminal case proceeds, investigators are also tracing the origins of the firearms used in the attack.

Tracing the guns

The police said one of the weapons, a .38-caliber revolver allegedly used by the 15-year-old suspect, was traced through its serial number to a security agency in Cebu and later to Bohol, raising questions about how the firearm reached the teenager.

“Through the serial number, it was traced to a security agency in Cebu,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. told reporters in a chance interview in Camp Crame on Wednesday.

The second firearm, a 9mm pistol allegedly used by the 14-year-old suspect, reportedly belonged to his aunt, a police staff sergeant assigned to the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas. The officer has since been relieved from her post and faces administrative proceedings.

Killed in the attack were Joyancee Separa, 15; Nicole Daza, 14; and Chris Lorenz Fabian, 15.

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Fabian has been hailed as a hero after witnesses said he tried to lock a classroom door and stop one of the gunmen from entering, allowing classmates and a teacher inside the room to escape. —WITH A REPORT FROM ANDRE ESGUERRA