YASMIEN Kurdi and Tuesday Vargas expressed grief and concern following the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead and at least 20 others injured.
The shooting, which occurred on June 22, was allegedly carried out by two Grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15. Police said one of the suspects was able to fire at least 33 shots. Both minors have since been arrested.
In a lengthy Facebook post following the incident, Kurdi reflected on issues of bullying, school safety, and parenting as she cited lessons she drew from the Korean drama “Teach You a Lesson.”
The actress admitted she initially hesitated to watch the series because it was “triggering,” due to a personal experience but said it raised important questions about how schools and communities respond to bullying and student welfare.
“The first episode tells the story of a student who took his own life after relentless bullying while the school failed to act. Kapag hindi naaaksyunan ang bullying, hindi natatapos ang cycle dahil maghahanap lang ulit ng bagong target ang mga bully,” she said.
“May episode din showing how toxic parenting becomes when adults refuse to discipline children at eto, may personal experience kami sa ganitong scenario,” she added.
Kurdi said the show highlights how unchecked bullying can have devastating consequences and emphasized the role of parents in disciplining their children.
“Sa mga kapwa kong magulang: kapag may ‘sungay,’ disiplinahin habang bata pa. Schools should be safe places for learning, not environments where abuse is tolerated,” she said.
She also stressed that raising children is a shared responsibility among families, schools, communities, and government.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” she quoted from another series, adding that while children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability under Philippine law, they may still face civil liability through their parents.
Meanwhile, Vargas called for immediate government action as she expressed condolences to the families of the victims following the tragedy.
“Isang napakabigat at nakakadurog ng pusong balita ang sinapit ng ating mga kababayan sa naganap na pamamaril sa San Jose National High School sa Tacloban City,” she wrote.
“Hindi madaling tanggapin na ang isang lugar na dapat ay ligtas para sa ating mga kabataan ay naging eksena ng ganitong karahasan. Buong-puso po akong nakikiramay sa mga pamilya ng mga estudyanteng binawian ng buhay,” she added.
The actress urged national authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into how the firearms ended up in the hands of minors and called for stronger security measures in schools.
Vargas also appealed to the government to shoulder the medical and financial needs of the injured victims and sought long-term psychosocial support for students, teachers, and families affected by the incident.
She also asked the local officials in Tacloban for a clear plan to assist bereaved families and help the school community recover from the trauma. (Jessica Ann Evangelista © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
