Senator Bam Aquino revealed that his timely alert to national security officials regarding a rumored assault on a school in Leyte on Wednesday night triggered a rapid law enforcement intervention, potentially stopping a fresh wave of campus violence.
The lawmaker recounted that he was alerted around 8 p.m. on Wednesday about a 14-year-old Grade 10 student, known by the pseudonym “Jasmine,” who had reportedly threatened to execute a shooting and stabbing rampage at Tolosa National High School that same evening.
At the time, Aquino was in Tacloban City to offer condolences to the families of victims from a previous campus shooting and to visit wounded students in local hospitals when the warning reached him.
Taking the threat seriously, Aquino immediately contacted Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who swiftly mobilized a specialized investigation team.
Personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), alongside local police, quickly neutralized the threat, preventing a potential tragedy in the province.
“Nagpapasalamat kami kay Sec. Jonvic at sa Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) sa mabilis nilang pagkilos para mapigil ang nasabing banta,” Aquino said in a statement released on Thursday, June 25.
During his dialogues with grieving families in Tacloban, Aquino noted that the community uniformly demanded two things: accountability for the victims and foolproof measures to ensure school grounds remain safe.
To address these concerns, the senator pledged to champion stricter security protocols within the academic system by fast-tracking the proposed School Safety Act.
“Asahan niyo po ang aming pagsulong ng School Safety Act para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kabataan.”
Beyond physical security measures, Aquino expressed openness to reviewing and reforming the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act to enhance accountability and early intervention strategies. He also threw his support behind initiatives that would bar children under 15 years old from accessing social media networks.
As the leader of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Aquino reiterated his panel’s determination to institutionalize comprehensive educational reforms designed to preserve the well-being of Filipino students nationwide.