Manila: Malaca±ang said Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte should present concrete proposals to address school violence instead of merely criticizing the government following a shooting incident in Tacloban City.
According to Philippines News Agency,Palace Press Officer Claire Castro expressed disappointment over Duterte's approach, stating, 'Magaling naman po yata siyang magpuna, pero walang solusyon na naibibigay. Sana nagbigay siya ng solusyon (She seems good at pointing out flaws, but she is not offering any solutions. Hopefully, she provides solutions).' Castro further questioned Duterte's suggestion regarding intelligence gathering, emphasizing that the incident involved students, not terrorists.
'Ibig sabihin, estudyante dapat minu-monitor para sa intelligence gathering? Hindi sila mga terorista, sila ay mga estudyanteng mukhang diumanong gumon lang sa online gaming na marahas (Does this mean students should be monitored through intelligence gathering? They are not terrorists; they are students who seem addicted to violent online gaming),' Castro said. She cited several violent incidents during the administration of Duterte's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, including a 2019 shooting in Laguna involving a Grade 7 student.
Castro highlighted that similar incidents occurred in the past despite the previous administration's security efforts. 'May mga pagkakataon po na hindi maiiwasan ang mga ganitong sitwasyon, especially sa pangyayaring ito, mga estudyante, mga menor de edad, hindi terorista (There are times when these situations cannot really be avoided, especially in this case involving students and minors, not terrorists),' she stated.
The Palace urged the Vice President to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. 'At sa susunod sana, bago magbigay ng pamimintas at paninira ang Bise Presidente, itanong ninyo sa kanya, ano ang kanyang suhestiyon (And next time, before the Vice President issues criticisms, she should be asked to offer suggestions),' Castro added.
The shooting incident at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City involved minors aged 14 and 15, one identified as a child in conflict with the law (CICL). Authorities are investigating reports that the two minors were victims of bullying. Additionally, two separate stabbing incidents involving students were reported in Cavite in June, prompting discussions on amending the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and enhancing school security protocols.
