Senator Gatchalian calls for tighter gun rules after school shootings

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday called for a review of firearm issuance and safekeeping rules for government personnel after three school shootings involved guns owned by government employees or law-enforcement officers.

In a privilege speech, Gatchalian said the South Cotabato shooting at Banga National High School should prompt authorities to examine how government-issued or privately owned firearms of public personnel are stored and kept beyond the reach of children.

“We must keep the guns away from our children. In all three incidents, the firearms were owned by either government employees or officers serving in law enforcement,” Gatchalian said.

He said standards on firearm safekeeping and storage should be reassessed to prevent weapons from reaching untrained hands.

The Banga incident left two students dead and eight others wounded.

The student identified by police as the gunman also died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Gatchalian’s account of the incident.

Gatchalian said authorities were still determining how the student obtained the firearm, which he said belonged to his father, a Department of Education employee, and was reportedly kept inside a vault.

He noted that the Banga shooting was the third school shooting since June, following incidents at San Jose National High School and Ateneo de Zamboanga.

Aside from firearm controls, Gatchalian said schools need stronger mental health programs focused on early detection, intervention, and professional support.

He cautioned against stigmatizing people with mental health struggles, saying such conditions should not automatically be associated with violence.

“Our objective must be early detection, intervention, and support, so that qualified professional help reaches a distressed child, and that credible threats are assessed properly before anyone is harmed,” he said.

Gatchalian also reiterated support for the Comprehensive School Safety Act and the Child Online Safety Protection Act, saying the response to school violence must address its underlying causes rather than rely on isolated measures.

He also appealed to the public not to circulate videos or unverified information about the South Cotabato shooting while investigation is ongoing, and called on Meta to prevent the incident footage from spreading on social media.