PH senators condemn Zamboanga school shooting, demand nationwide security reforms

Several senators on Tuesday issued strong condemnations following a tragic shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School campus in Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City.

The attack left two dead—including the teenage gunman—and several others injured, sparking urgent calls for nationwide school safety reforms, stricter gun control, and enhanced student mental health services.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the attack, emphasizing the need to determine how the minor managed to acquire two firearms and bring them onto campus grounds.

"I strongly condemn the shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School," Gatchalian said.

Beyond the security inquiry, he urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Zamboanga City government to swiftly deploy psychosocial support to affected students, faculty, and personnel dealing with trauma from the event.

Echoing the alarm over campus safety, Senator Mark Villar stressed that schools must remain places of learning rather than fear.

"Walang magulang ang dapat matakot na baka hindi na makauwi nang ligtas ang kanilang anak," Villar remarked, advocating for a holistic security framework encompassing early threat detection, emergency preparedness, law enforcement coordination, and mental health intervention.

Villar renewed his call for the passage of Senate Bill No. 2321 (the proposed LIGTAS Act), which aims to establish a standardized safety protocol for basic education institutions nationwide. He also highlighted Senate Bill No. 2133 (the Students’ Guidance Counseling Act) to bolster guidance counseling and mental health infrastructure across schools.

Joining the call for reform, Senator Joel Villanueva urged the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) to integrate campus safety directly into its ongoing educational reform agenda.

Villanueva pushed for tighter firearm regulations to prevent weapons from reaching classrooms, declaring, "No weapon should ever find its way into a classroom or be used to cut short the life of a child."

He also pointed to his proposed SMART Kids Act, which targets online harms and aligns with broader efforts to regulate minor access to digital platforms.

Expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy, Senator Paolo "Bam" Aquino IV extended his condolences to the victims' families and the school community, describing the tragedy as a heartbreaking violation of a space meant to nurture youth.

Senator Risa Hontiveros noted the troubling recurrence of campus violence in the country, but cautioned against drawing premature conclusions linking the Zamboanga shooting to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) or radical online groups currently being investigated in connection with a prior incident in Tacloban.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Hontiveros confirmed that the panel will continue its broader inquiry into online grooming, NVE, and emerging threats to youth during its upcoming hearing, aiming to craft legislative safeguards for both physical and digital spaces.

-Paraluman News