SCHOOLS are meant for learning, not for crime.
That is why what happened at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22 was a rude awakening for all of us.
Two teenagers, aged 14 and 15, allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left three people dead and 11 others wounded. The victims were fellow students.
The incident shocked the nation. It seemed almost unbelievable.
Yet school shootings are not new. They have occurred repeatedly in other countries and, increasingly, even in the Philippines.
Around the world, numerous school shootings have been recorded. A brief review of some of the most notorious cases, based on information from Wikipedia, reveals the devastating consequences of such violence.
• The Kerch Polytechnic College massacre in Russia on Oct. 17, 2018. An 18-year-old student killed 20 people and wounded 73 others before taking his own life.
• The 1989 shooting at Université de Montréal in Canada, where an armed man entered the campus and opened fire, killing 14 women and injuring 14 others before committing suicide.
• The Winnenden school shooting in Germany on March 11, 2009. A 17-year-old former student returned to his former school, Albertville-Realschule, and carried out a deadly attack that left 15 people dead, including students and bystanders, before killing himself.
The Philippines has not been spared.
Aside from the recent Tacloban tragedy, there have been other school-related shootings in recent years.
• The Santa Rosa Integrated School shooting in Barangay Rizal, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, on Aug. 8, 2025. The incident involved two male teenagers who allegedly shot and killed a 15-year-old female student.
• The shooting at Ateneo de Manila University on July 24, 2022, allegedly carried out by Chao-Tiao Yumol, which left three people dead, including former Lamitan, Basilan Mayor Rose Furigay.
NATURAL MORBID CURIOSITY
This brings us to two difficult questions:
• Why do some Filipino teenagers appear increasingly reckless today?
• What factors drive them toward such dangerous behavior?
To understand this issue, we must examine what psychologists describe as “morbid curiosity.”
The concept may be difficult to grasp, but it refers to a fascination with violence, danger, and disturbing events. In some cases, such fascination can influence impressionable young minds.
This is why strict parental guidance remains essential.
Let us face reality.
Many teenagers today spend more time on social media than on books. They are often more familiar with TikTok than textbooks. While technology has its benefits, excessive exposure to online content can shape attitudes and behaviors in troubling ways.
The influence of social media on young people has become so pervasive that many parents and educators now struggle to keep up.
SHABU UNLIMITED
Another factor that cannot be ignored is illegal drugs, particularly shabu or methamphetamine.
Teenagers have become prime targets of drug syndicates.
Driven by profit, some syndicates allegedly lure young people by offering free samples. Once hooked, these youths may be recruited into selling drugs to their peers.
According to previous studies and law enforcement reports, some students who received free drugs were later used to penetrate school communities and encourage fellow students to buy illegal substances.
This is deeply alarming.
Here enters the Department of Education (DepEd).
To its credit, DepEd has implemented various programs aimed at maintaining safe learning environments across the country. Schools are required to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against the possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs.
Public and private schools are likewise encouraged to strengthen perimeter security and regulate entry and exit points.
Security personnel may conduct routine inspections when necessary.
But is this happening consistently?
Perhaps yes. Perhaps no.
The reality is that many schools have thousands of students but only one or two security guards. Under such circumstances, how can bag inspections be conducted thoroughly and effectively?
UNPLEASANT TRUTH
This is the unpleasant reality that school administrators must confront.
Many schools simply do not have the financial capacity to hire enough security personnel to implement stricter campus security measures.
As a result, DepEd finds itself in a difficult position.
It is worth noting that even Ateneo de Manila University, one of the country’s most prestigious institutions, once became a victim of a serious security breach.
If that could happen there, what about public schools with far fewer resources?
Perhaps it is time for DepEd to initiate a serious dialogue with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regarding school security.
If feasible, police officers could be assigned to conduct regular visibility patrols around schools to help deter violence and criminal activity.
However, another question immediately arises: Do police stations have enough personnel to cover all schools within their jurisdictions?
The answer is likely no.
Still, the Tacloban shooting serves as a wake-up call that both educational and local government authorities must not ignore.
It is heartbreaking to imagine students becoming victims of individuals bold enough to bring firearms onto school grounds and use them as though they were merely playing a game.
STARK TRUTH
Beyond school security, the government must also examine the growing influence of online gaming and digital content on young people.
Online games, while harmless for many, can sometimes contribute to aggressive behavior when consumed excessively and without guidance.
For some young people, gaming is simply entertainment. For others, it becomes an obsession.
There are even those who blur the line between virtual and real-life actions, seeking to imitate the heroes and scenarios they encounter online.
That is where the danger lies.
How do we confront this stark reality?
There are no easy answers.
DepEd, parents, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and communities must work together.
The agency tasked with shaping the minds and futures of young Filipinos now faces a complex challenge: how to prevent school violence before it happens.
The burden cannot rest on DepEd alone.
Preventing armed attacks in schools requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Which agency should take the lead?
That question will certainly spark debate.
But what matters most is finding practical and effective solutions to stop violence from entering our schools.
Another school shooting anywhere in the country would be one too many.
Hopefully, this rude awakening will lead to meaningful reforms rather than fade into memory as just another tragic headline.
Teachers and students deserve to learn and work in environments free from fear, violence, and crime.
They deserve nothing less./PN
