Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed concerned agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into recent crimes involving students and teachers within school premises, Malaca±ang said Thursday. Marcos is fully aware of the spate of violence in schools and wants immediate action to address the issue, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

According to Philippines News Agency, Castro emphasized the urgency of the investigation, considering that the crimes involve minors and raise concerns about mental health among the youth. ‘So, muli kailangan po talagang maimbestigahan ito lalo po at mayroong mga menor de edad na nasasangkot po dito at nagiging isyu na po talaga iyong mental health sa mga Kabataan (Again, this has to be investigated thoroughly, especially since minors are involved and mental health among the youth has indeed become a serious issue),’ she said.

‘So, hindi po ito tutulugan, at aaksyunan po ng mga concerned agencies agad-agad din po (This will not be ignored and this will be acted upon promptly by the concerned agencies),’ Castro added. The Palace official said Marcos has already instructed the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to look into the crime incidents in schools.

The DepEd has already ordered stricter school safety measures and reinforced preventive measures, following growing concerns about school security in the wake of incidents of school-based violence. Castro said the Palace has yet to take a position on the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 10 years old for children who commit heinous crimes. ‘Sa ngayon po, wala pa pong napapag-usapan patungkol po diyan (As of now, there has been no discussion on that matter),’ she said.