Malacañang has dismissed the suggestion that the government should run intelligence operations on students, clashing with Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims that a recent fatal school shooting in Tacloban City exposed a failure in state intelligence.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, June 23, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro firmly questioned the logic of spying on schoolchildren.
”Ibig sabihin, estudyante dapat minu-monitor para sa intelligence gathering?” Castro said.
”Hindi sila mga terorista, sila ay mga estudyanteng mukhang diumanong gumon lang sa online gaming na marahas,” she stressed.
The exchange sparked after Vice President Duterte criticized the government’s security approach following the tragic high school shooting on Monday.
”This tragedy also exposes the failure of the government to recognize the importance of intelligence gathering and identifying threats before lives are lost. We cannot continue reacting only after another child is hurt or killed,” Duterte had stated.
In response, Castro pointed out that if school-based intelligence gathering were truly a foolproof solution, similar tragedies would have been prevented under the previous administration of the Vice President’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
She cited a 2019 classroom shooting involving a 15-year-old student in Calamba, Laguna, as well as separate 2016 bombing incidents in Davao City and against the presidential security detail.
”At kung iyan ang sinasabi niya na dapat na minu-monitor through an intelligence gathering, bakit kaya noong 2019 sa Masili National High School, Calamba, Laguna ay nagkaroon din ng barilan sa loob ng classroom?” Castro questioned.
”Isang 15-year-old, Grade 7 student ang involved. This is 2019, it occurred 2019. Bakit hindi ito kaya nakita sa intelligence report ng kaniyang ama?” she further asked.
Castro questioned why the Vice President did not implement or advise these exact strategies to her father when he was in power.
”Bakit hindi niya kaya tinuruan ang kanyang ama para maresolba or ma-counter ito agad?” Castro said.
”Hindi po ba dapat kung napakagaling niyang magbigay ng suggestion, dapat ay tinuruan niya ang kanyang ama para ito ay na-prevent,” she added.
Ultimately, the Palace official emphasized that law enforcement cannot treat minors like enemy combatants, noting that some tragic situations involving children are highly unpredictable.
”May mga pagkakataon po na hindi maiiwasan ang mga ganitong sitwasyon, especially sa pangyayaring ito, mga estudyante, mga menor de edad, hindi terorista,” she stressed.