Philippines Pushes School Safety Bill After Cotabato Shooting

SENATE PRESIDENT Sherwin T. Gatchalian pushed for the passage of the Comprehensive School Safety Act to establish a National Comprehensive School Safety Framework following a school shooting incident. The latest violent incident at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Sept. 18, the third school shooting in the Philippines since June, has killed three students and injured six. “A reactive response is not enough. We need to be proactive — identify threats, prevent incidents before they happen, and ensure every school is safe,” Mr. Gatchalian said in a statement on Sunday. Under Senate Bill No. 2426, Mr. Gatchalian sought the creation of the school safety framework, mandating the Department of Education, local government units, and other agencies to establish, maintain, and regularly update the plan. The measure also directs every school to develop their own School Safety Plan to be updated annually, alongside a School Safety Handbook that includes a code of conduct. This followed the June 22 school shooting in Tacloban, which killed three and injured 20 students, and the Aug. 18 school shooting in Zamboanga, which left two dead including the shooter. The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality has been conducting a series of inquiries on minor-inflicted violence in schools since the Tacloban incident, with the committee revealing possible link of the incident to groups promoting nihilistic violent extremism through online gaming and social networking platforms. Separately, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) sought tighter school safety measures, calling for legislation and stronger enforcement of existing safeguards. In a statement, EDCOM II said it was seeking “immediate, actionable safeguards across our education system,” including the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act that would standardize physical security, access control and inter-agency threat monitoring in schools. The commission also called for stricter implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act’s implementing rules and regulations and greater use of learning formation officers to support child protection, conflict resolution and students. EDCOM II said schools should also expand mental health support through guidance counselors and the hiring of school counselor associates, with support systems put in place for students. The commission added that “strict mandatory safe-storage laws” and legal accountability for owners are also needed to prevent minors and unauthorized individuals from obtaining guns. It also urged stronger digital safeguards through legislation on bicameral digital protection and cyber-safety education to protect students from online risks, violence, and predatory exposure.