At least three persons were killed and five others wounded after two minors opened fire in San Jose National High School in the Tacloban City, Eastern Visayas at midmorning on Monday, June 22.
As the nation’s eyes focus on the deadly occurrence, we bring you the latest developments. Bookmark this page and refresh for updates.
School violence in PH: From Duterte’s 1972 shooting story to the Tacloban tragedy
Before rising to the nation’s highest office, Rodrigo Duterte figured in what is considered one of the Philippines’ earliest and most controversial school shooting incidents.
Duterte himself recounted the incident during a campaign speech in Iloilo City in 2016, saying he shot a fraternity brother at San Beda College in Manila in 1972 after being bullied for being Bisaya.
“I waited for him, I told myself I’ll teach him a lesson,” Duterte said.
“I said, you son of a b*tch, if I get hit, I will shoot you,” Duterte said, recalling that he was in a corridor when the student was pushing people around.
“I was hit in the nose […] Bang,” he said.
The victim, Duterte’s fraternity brother at Lex Talionis, survived. Duterte said he was barred from joining the graduation rites and returned home to Davao City by boat to avoid authorities who were looking for him.
His revelation drew applause from the crowd.
More than five decades later, the Philippines is grappling with what appears to be one of its deadliest school shootings after two Grade 9 and Grade 10 students, ages 15 and 14, opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on Monday, June 22.
The attack killed three students and wounded at least 20 others.
Murder raps filed vs 15-year-old Tacloban school shooter
MANILA, Philippines — Three murder complaints have been filed against the 15-year-old suspect in the Tacloban City school shooting.
Philippine National Police (PNP) public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed this while speaking to reporters at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Wednesday morning.
Co added that the 15-year-old suspect also faces multiple frustrated murder and physical injury complaints in connection with the incident.
After Tacloban bloodshed, police urge active shooter drills in schools
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In the wake of the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City, regional firearms and security regulators have urged schools to consider conducting active shooter drills and called on firearm owners to ensure that guns would not fall into the hands of minors.
Police Colonel Elmer Cinco, chief of the Regional Civil Security Unit-7 (RCSU-7), raised the proposal during a press conference on Wednesday, June 24, as authorities continued investigating how two teenage students managed to carry firearms into San Jose National High School and launch an attack that killed three classmates and injured 20 others.
Cinco stressed that parents who own firearms carry a responsibility to secure their weapons, especially when children live in the same household.
Same serial number?
Tacloban shooting: Cebu City councilor seeks school safety overhaul
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The deadly school shooting in Tacloban City that left three students dead and 20 others wounded or injured has prompted a local councilor here to push for a comprehensive review of school safety, anti-bullying programs, and youth mental health interventions across the city.
Councilor Paul Labra, chairman of the City Council’s committee on public safety, called on the council Tuesday to launch a joint study involving schools, law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, parents, and youth groups to identify gaps in existing safeguards and prevent violence from escalating inside campuses.
“The concern is real. The fear is understandable. And the responsibility to respond belongs to all of us,” Labra said in a privileged speech delivered during the council’s regular session on June 23.
Tacloban shooting: 14-year-old gunman fired at least 33 shots – PNP
MANILA, Philippines — Investigators found that one of the two teenage suspects in the Tacloban City school shooting fired at least 33 rounds and reloaded his handgun during the incident, which claimed the lives of three students and left at least 20 others wounded.
During a briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said crime scene investigators recovered 34 spent cartridges from the scene.
“At least 34 bullets were fired: 21 fired cartridge cases, and 13 live cartridges, as well as the bullets themselves,” Co said.
According to Co, the first shooter, 15-year-old “alias Rod,” was only able to fire once before he was restrained by law enforcement officers at 9:30 a.m. on Monday—10 minutes after the first round of shots were fired at San Jose National High School.
2 Tacloban shooting suspects test positive for gunpowder – PNP
MANILA, Philippines — Paraffin tests conducted on the two suspects in the deadly Tacloban City high school shooting returned positive results for gunpowder residue, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.
The paraffin test checks for traces of gunpowder residue on the hands, potentially indicating that a person recently discharged a firearm.
“The paraffin examination of the two has been completed and they both tested positive for gunpowder nitrate,” PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said in an interview on DZMM on Tuesday night.
The shooting incident occurred on Monday morning when two male students, aged 14 and 15, allegedly fired several gunshots inside the premises of the San Jose National High School, killing at least three students and wounding several others.
Both minors were taken into the custody of the police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in accordance with Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
Tacloban shooting update
Tacloban shooting: Student who shielded classmates hailed a hero
A 15-year-old student is being hailed as a hero after losing his life while attempting to prevent an armed suspect from entering their classroom during the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School on Monday.
Chris Lorenz Fabian was among the three students killed in the attack that also injured 20 others when two minors allegedly opened fire inside the campus. Authorities said the suspects used a caliber .38 revolver and a Glock 17 pistol.
Classmates said Fabian stood near the classroom door and tried to block one of the gunmen from entering after shots were fired through a window.
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Palace to VP Sara: Offer solutions, not criticism, on school violence
Malacañang said Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte should present concrete proposals to address school violence instead of merely criticizing the government following a shooting incident in Tacloban City.
“Magaling naman po yata siyang magpuna, pero walang solusyon na naibibigay. Sana nagbigay siya ng solusyon (She seems good at pointing out flaws, but she is not offering any solutions. Hopefully, she provides solutions),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters.
Castro questioned Duterte’s suggestion regarding intelligence gathering, noting that the incident involved students and not terrorists.
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Tacloban shooting prompts DepEd Mandaue to tighten security in schools
The Department of Education (DepEd) Mandaue City Division reinforced security measures in schools following a shooting attack last Monday, June 22 in a public high school in Tacloban City.
Atty. Marinel Oro, the division’s legal officer, said that school principals received reminders to strictly implement DepEd Order No. 6, Series of 2026, which contains guidelines for maintaining a safe and motivating learning environment.
Among the security measures being implemented are inspections at school entrances for visitors, personnel, and students.
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Tacloban school shooting: What the law says when suspects are minors
The arrest of two Grade 9 students in connection with the deadly shooting inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City has prompted many Filipinos to ask: What happens when suspects in a serious crime are minors?
The Philippine National Police (PNP) identified the two suspects only through aliases — “Nash,” 14, and “Rod,” 15 — in accordance with laws protecting children in conflict with the law.
Authorities alleged that the two teenagers carried out the shooting that left two victims dead and at least 20 injured inside the school campus.
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Pangilinan opposes renewed push to lower age of criminal liability
Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday pushed back against renewed calls to lower the age of criminal liability following the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City.
Speaking in a Facebook Live discussion with Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) Executive Director Tricia Clare Oco, Pangilinan said lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 10 years old would fail to address the root causes that drive children into conflict with the law.
“Rather than amend the law, it’s to strengthen the enforcement of the law,” he said.
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Minors with serious offenses undergo discernment: What this means
Cases involving minors accused of grave offenses are subjected to discernment assessments and judicial review to determine the appropriate action, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Lucero said children in conflict with the law (CICLs) are evaluated through established legal and social welfare processes that consider both accountability and the child’s circumstances.
Lucero issued the clarification following renewed public discussion on juvenile justice after a recent school shooting in Tacloban City allegedly involving two minors who are now in the custody of local social welfare authorities.
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Tacloban shooting: CICC imposes ban on game app GoreBox
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on the gaming application GoreBox, which was linked to a recent school shooting in Tacloban City.
Initial police investigations showed that one of the two minors involved in the deadly shooting had been playing the “violent” game prior to the incident.
“We are blocking Gorebox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked,” CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said.
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Tacloban school shooting was planned weeks before — police
MANILA, Philippines — The assailants in the shooting incident inside a Tacloban City high school planned it weeks before the incident. This was according to the Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas (PRO 8).
At least three students were killed, and several others were wounded or injured by the perpetrators — two male Grade 9 students aged 14 and 15 — who opened fire inside the San Jose National High School premises on Monday morning.
“Based on our information, as early as May 1, if I’m not mistaken. They’ve been planning this since April or May,” PRO 8 director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy told reporters in a phone interview.
Tacloban school shooting: PNP vows cases vs gun owners
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to pursue legal action against the registered owners of the firearms allegedly used in the school shooting in Tacloban City.
“With all the pieces of evidence available, I expect a solid case that can stand in court,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Let this serve as a warning to all registered gun owners on the responsibility—and accountability—that comes with the privilege of owning firearms,” he added.
The shooting took place when two Grade 9 students aged 14 and 15 opened fire inside the premises of San Jose National High School on Monday morning, June 22.
Both minors were taken into police custody.
Tacloban shooting: Cebu City police ready to help track down gun owner
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is prepared to assist investigators in locating the Cebu City-based security agency linked to one of the firearms allegedly used in the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.
However, it has yet to receive a formal directive to join the investigation.
Police Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy city director for administration and spokesperson of the CCPO, said on Tuesday, June 23, that the office has not received any specific instruction from higher headquarters regarding the ongoing probe being led by the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8).
READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban
“I’m sure there’s an investigation being done by PRO-8, and there is already coordination between PRO-8 and the Regional Civil Security Unit 7 (RCSU-7) regarding where the firearm used by the suspect is currently registered. But as far as the CCPO is concerned, we have not yet received any particular instruction or directive from our regional director regarding the investigation,” Oriol said during a press conference.
“However, if there is one, we are willing to assist the investigation in any way we can to further strengthen the investigation, particularly in locating and interviewing the owner of the security agency so that more questions in the investigation can be answered,” he added.
Security audit of all Cebu City schools ordered after Tacloban shooting
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The local police here has launched an immediate citywide “school hardening” campaign that includes tighter access controls, expanded police deployments, security assessments, and campus patrols in response to the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.
Police Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy city director for administration and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) spokesperson, announced the measures during a press conference on Tuesday, June 23, as authorities moved to prevent a similar incident from occurring in Cebu City.
The security overhaul comes a day after a shooting inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City left three students dead and 20 others wounded or injured, making it one of the deadliest school attacks recorded in the country.
Oriol said the CCPO had ordered all police stations to strengthen security operations around both public and private schools across Cebu City.
UAE condemns school shooting in Tacloban, sends sympathies to victims
MANILA, Philippines – The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday condemned the mass shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that killed four students and injured 13 others.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Abu Dhabi “strongly condemns such criminal acts” and “firmly rejects all forms of violence and extremism aimed at undermining security and stability.”
“The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of the Philippines, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all those injured,” it said.
Tacloban school shooting: Number of wounded, injured now at 20
TACLOBAN CITY — Wounded and injured students in the shooting incident at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City have increased to 20, police said Tuesday.
According to police, 15 students suffered gunshot wounds and five others sustained injuries during the panic and commotion that followed the attack.
All injured victims, particularly those firearm-related, are currently confined in various hospitals, said Lieutenant Colonel Analiza Armeza, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office-8 (PRO-8).
Armeza also dismissed reports circulating on social media that the death toll had increased to four.
Guns in Tacloban school shooting lead to cop, Cebu City security agency
Police investigators linked the guns used in the Tacloban school shooting to a Cebu City security agency and a policewoman who’s the aunt of one of the suspects.
The Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas (PRO 8) recovered a caliber .38 revolver and a 9mm pistol from the two suspects, both teenagers, who are now in custody.
“Upon verification, the 9mm Glock belongs or was issued to a policewoman assigned in PRO 8,” Col. Allen Rae Co said in Camp Crame on Monday afternoon, June 22. Co serves as the PNP’s public information chief.
Authorities have also placed the policewoman under the custody of the regional police office, while she faces an investigation.
“The caliber .38 revolver is registered to a security agency in Cebu City,” Co added.
A QUESTION OF RAISING OUR CHILDREN
Tacloban school shooting suspects ‘can’t be released’ even if minors, Pangilinan says
In Manila, Senator Francis Pangilinan said that the two suspects in the school shooting should not be released even if they are minors, citing the Juvenile Justice Law, of which was the principal author.
SCHOOL SHOOTING ROCKS TACLOBAN
2 suspects arrested after shooting rampage in Tacloban school
Both minor suspects in the deadly San Jose National High School shooting are now in police custody after a community effort by teachers, students, and parents prevented one from fleeing, while the second later surrendered
.
According to Tacloban City Police Director Col. Noelito Getigan, fellow students and parents immediately tackled and restrained the first suspect — a minor — inside the campus until officers arrived.
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Tacloban shooting: Padilla seeks amendment of Juvenile Justice Act
The shooting incident at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City is another indication of the urgent need to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, according to Senator Robin Padilla.
Padilla said in a social media post shortly after the shooting incident happened at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 22:
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Archival orders tighter school security after Tacloban school shooting
Mayor Nestor Archival has ordered tighter security measures in schools across Cebu City, including increased police visibility and heightened monitoring.
The mayor met with police station commanders and directed them to strengthen security around both public and private schools as classes continue.
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Tacloban City school shooting: Bullying-related grudge eyed as motive
A grudge allegedly rooted in school bullying may have triggered the shooting inside a public high school in Tacloban City that left three students dead and seven others injured on Monday, June 22.
Initial findings by the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) indicated that the attack inside San Jose National High School in Barangay San Jose may have stemmed from a personal conflict involving the students.
According to an initial report from the Tacloban City Police Office’s Police Station 1, officers responded immediately after receiving information about the shooting. They confirmed that eight individuals were hit by gunfire. Three victims died, while seven others sustained injuries and were rushed to medical facilities for treatment.
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‘AN UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY’
ANGARA PROMISES AID FOR VICTIMS OF TACLOBAN SHOOTING
MALACAÑANG ORDERS PROBE
SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT NOT A MEMBER OF YOUTH PROGRAM
PADILLA PUSHES AMENDMENTS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT
Tacloban school shooting: Teachers, students help stop suspect
One suspect in the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School was prevented from fleeing by teachers, students, and parents, while the second suspect later surrendered, leaving both alleged perpetrators in police custody.
According to Tacloban City Police Director Col. Noelito Getigan, the first suspect, a minor, was subdued by fellow students and parents at the school immediately after the shooting and detained until authorities arrived.
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Tacloban school shooting: Gov’t moves to aid victims, probe launched
Government officials moved to provide assistance to victims and order an investigation into the deadly shooting at a public high school in Tacloban City.
The shooting occurred at around 9 a.m. inside the campus of San Jose National High School in Barangay San Jose.
Authorities in Tacloban City confirmed that the two suspects, both students of the same school and minors, are already in police custody.
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DEPED-8 EXPRESSES CONCERN FOLLOWING TACLOBAN SHOOTING
TWO SUSPECTS IN TACLOBAN SCHOOL SHOOTING ARRESTED
PRO-8 CONFIRMS TACLOBAN SCHOOL SHOOTING
Tacloban City school shooting: 3 killed, 7 wounded, 2 suspects caught
A Monday morning shooting at San Jose National High School left three people dead and seven others wounded, with authorities confirming the two alleged suspects, both students of the same school, are already in police custody.
The shooting happened inside the school grounds in Barangay San Jose at about 9 a.m. Police immediately apprehended one suspect, a child in conflict with the law (CICL); a second suspect managed to escape but was caught later following a manhunt operation.
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