The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has launched its own independent investigation into a horrific shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which left three students dead and multiple others wounded on Monday.
The CHR’s Eastern Visayas office immediately deployed a team to investigate the tragedy, which reportedly involved two minors aged 14 and 15.
“This incident demands accountability, justice, and a rights-based response that protects the welfare and dignity of all children involved,” the CHR said.
Initial reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) indicate that the shooting occurred inside the school campus around 9:20 a.m. and likely escalated from a personal grudge. Investigators recovered at least 40 spent shell casings from a .38-caliber handgun and a 9mm Glock pistol at the crime scene.
In addition to the shooting investigation, the CHR called for a thorough probe into how the minors acquired the firearms, stressing that the adults responsible for securing those weapons must face legal consequences.
“Accountability must extend not only to those directly responsible for the violence but also to any administrative or security lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy,” the commission said.
Expressing deep concern over a worrying spike in school-based violence, the rights agency pointed to two separate stabbing incidents that occurred just last week at Cavite National High School and Bethel Academy in General Trias City.
The CHR urged the Department of Education, the PNP, and local governments to immediately review school safety protocols, boost mental health and psychosocial support programs, and evaluate how the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act is being implemented.
“Schools, serving as children’s second homes, are mandated to be zones of peace and primary sanctuaries for the realization of the right to education,” the CHR said.
“Any act of violence within these premises is a direct assault on the fundamental rights of children to learn and thrive in a secure, nurturing environment,” the commission added.