Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto leads drive vs school violence

LUCENA CITY – Alarmed by a series of violent incidents in schools across the country, the Batangas Provincial Council for the Protection of Children (PCPC) convened on Monday to strengthen measures aimed at preventing school violence, particularly in the province.

Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto led the consultation meeting, which brought together officials from the provincial government, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to develop a holistic, community-based approach to protecting students, according to the Batangas Public Information Office (PIO).

The PIO said Santos-Recto expressed deep concern over what she described as the growing incidence of violence involving young people, particularly those aged 14 to 15.

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READ: Batangas City school suspends classes over alleged shooting threat

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The meeting is expected to serve as the foundation for a broader provincial program that will address the root causes of youth violence and promote the safety and well-being of students both inside and outside school campuses.

As an initial step, the provincial government will establish a speakers’ bureau composed of representatives from the PCPC, DepEd, Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs), and the PNP.

The bureau will craft a unified message and coordinated strategies for an information and education campaign to be conducted in schools across the province.

During the meeting, police identified several factors that may contribute to school violence, including Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), exposure to violent online content and gaming platforms, parental neglect, and the continuing rise in bullying cases.

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According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), NVE refers to an ideology that motivates individuals to commit crimes to create chaos and undermine society. The FBI said such extremists often emerge from decentralized online networks and subcultures that glorify violence, mass killers, and self-harm.

The meeting came on the same day that Batangas City Integrated High School (BCIHS) in Batangas City suspended classes and all on-site school activities after alleged online threats against its students.

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READ: PNP: Alleged Batangas school shooting threat came from ‘bullied’ student

Police said school officials discovered threatening messages posted by an unidentified individual on the school’s official Facebook page at around 9:54 p.m. on June 28.

“The messages contained threats of violence directed at students, causing concern among school authorities and parents,” police said.

Authorities later identified a child in conflict with the law (CICL) as the person of interest. The child was referred to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for assessment and appropriate intervention in accordance with juvenile justice protocols.

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Regular classes resumed on Tuesday after authorities declared the campus safe following a security assessment. Police personnel were deployed in and around the school to maintain security while the investigation continues./coa