The Department of Education (DepEd) has mobilized mental health and psychological interventions to assist the academic community following a deadly gun incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed that the agency instructed its Zamboanga Peninsula regional desk to collaborate with local officials and school administrators to offer comprehensive support to affected students, faculty, and family members.
“The Department of Education has directed its Regional Office IX to coordinate with the school and other concerned authorities and to make psychosocial support available to affected learners, teachers, and families as needed,” he said.
Reaffirming the department’s mandate over all academic institutions, Angara emphasized that government welfare assistance extends to all students, regardless of whether they attend public or private facilities.
“Whether public or private, they are our learners,” Angara pointed out.
The directive follows a Tuesday campus shooting on August 18 that resulted in two fatalities, including an eighth-grade male student who was identified as the shooter.
Expressing profound grief over the tragedy, the Education chief offered his personal condolences to those affected by the event.
“As a father, my heart goes out to the parents who are grieving today,” stated the DepEd chief.
“My sympathies are likewise with all the families affected by this tragedy, as well as the teachers, learners, and school personnel who experienced this terrible incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, Angara noted that the department is awaiting the final findings of the police investigation, particularly regarding how the suspect gained possession of the firearms, which reportedly belonged to his father.