After Tacloban shooting: Capitol launches safe school plan

CEBU, Philippines — In the wake of the deadly shooting inside a public high school in Tacloban City that left three students dead and several others wounded, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has institutionalized a province-wide school safety program aimed at preventing campus violence and protecting learners.

Baricuatro signed Executive Order No. 35 establishing the Cebu Safe Schools Program, which sets uniform policies on violence prevention, emergency preparedness, mental health support, and coordinated security measures in schools across the province.

The executive order was issued after the governor convened an emergency meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) to assess school security and identify additional measures to safeguard students and school communities.

Among the measures approved by the council is the conduct of awareness and intervention programs for teachers, students and parents focusing on crime prevention, school safety, anti-bullying, gangsterism, extremism and radicalization.

"What kind of future will we have if we don't take care of our children now?" Baricuatro said during the meeting.

To strengthen reporting mechanisms, the governor directed the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in coordination with the Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Youth Development Office, to establish a province-wide anti-bullying hotline accessible to students, parents and schools.

Schools will also be required to prominently display emergency hotline numbers inside their campuses to ensure immediate access to assistance during emergencies.

The PPOC likewise recommended including representatives from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Cebu Provincial School Board to strengthen policy coordination on school safety.

Police Colonel Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr., director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, reported that security measures are already in place in educational institutions across Cebu.

He said 2,516 security personnel—including security guards, Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams and other designated security forces—have been deployed to secure the province's 1,567 schools and universities.

Under EO No. 35, the Cebu Safe Schools Committee will be created under the Provincial School Board to oversee the implementation of school safety initiatives and formulate a Cebu Safe Schools Plan within 90 days.

The action plan will include school safety standards, emergency preparedness programs, violence prevention strategies, crisis communication protocols, mental health services, monitoring mechanisms and funding requirements.

The executive order also mandates standardized campus security protocols, annual safety assessments, emergency drills and stronger collaboration among local government units, schools, law enforcement agencies, parents and community organizations.

Baricuatro said she immediately coordinated with education officials and law enforcement authorities after learning about the Tacloban incident.

"I said that atong i-convene dayon ang Peace and Order Council and I called up also provincial director sa DepEd and we will talk how we can protect our children in school," she said.

The governor added that increased police visibility in schools, intensified mobile patrols and closer monitoring of fraternities, sororities and gangs are among the additional security measures being considered.

She also urged parents to closely monitor their children's activities on social media.

"Bantayan jud nato ang atong mga bata, especially in social media karon. The atmosphere is angry kaayo, especially sa presence aning trolls ba. It's creating an atmosphere of animosity in social media," Baricuatro said.

Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said the Tacloban tragedy also underscores the need to revisit the country's minimum age of criminal liability.

Ejercito said he is open to lowering the minimum age to 12 or even 10 years old if supported by expert findings on a child's discernment.

"I think it has to be revisited," Ejercito told reporters yesterday.

The senator said criminal syndicates have long exploited minors because they know children below the current age of criminal responsibility cannot be held criminally liable.

"It's really a problem because some criminal elements would make use of kids for the crime, because they know that they will not go to jail," Ejercito noted. (CEBU NEWS)