Three students died and several others were wounded when two young men opened fire inside a classroom at San Jose National High School in Tacloban city on Tuesday afternoon.
The 14‑year‑old and 15‑year‑old, now in police custody, brought a .38 revolver and a 9‑mm pistol – the latter belonging to a policewoman who is a relative of one of the suspects – into the school’s classroom, reportedly after confronting bullying issues that gnawed over the students.
Police spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co told reporters that the teens had made a "grudge" over school bullying and that the attack started with an immediate burst of gunfire without announcements or warnings.
Investigators recovered about 40 empty shells, and the shooting left three people dead, three by gunshot injuries, and four more who were wounded when panicking to escape.
Video evidence shared by the suspects’ social media accounts shows one shooting the gun in a video clip, a red flag that authorities say should have triggered intervention.
"If those red flags were monitored and addressed, this could have been prevented," said a police official, underscoring the failure to detect warning signs.
Mother of a slain 15‑year‑old student, Jennelyn Badoria, demanded accountability "for whoever had allowed the shooters access to guns," and urged that gun owners face charges.
Police chief Evalyn Diaz called on parents who keep firearms to secure and hide them properly and to talk with their children about gun safety.
President Ferdinand Marcos’s spokeswoman, Claire Castro, expressed a "deep sadness" over the incident, noting that parents would "feel grief and fear."
The education ministry moved to review school security protocols, bullying policies, and student behaviour monitoring in the wake of the tragedy, calling on the public to pray for victim recovery and safety.
Although gun violence nationwide has been on the decline – about 5,000 cases in 2024 – school shootings remain rare in the Philippines, and this incident is the first in Tacloban City in recent memory.
Tacloban, on Leyte Island, is a 250,000‑person city that suffered much during Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and the community is now grappling with the aftermath of a new wave of violence.
