Marcos orders probe on Zamboanga City school shooting incident
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered authorities to investigate the school shooting incident in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, August 18 that left two students dead.
In a statement, Marcos extended sympathies to the families of the deceased and announced that he had directed law enforcement agencies to look into the shooting case to determine how to prevent similar incidents from happening.
“I have directed our law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and to determine what more must be done to prevent another family, another school, and another community from suffering the same grief,” Marcos’ statement read.
The incident occurred inside Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday morning when a male junior high school student opened fire at Grade 8 students.
Initial police reports said two students were dead, including the alleged shooter. Nine others were seriously wounded.
Two firearms were recovered from the school. Authorities are currently investigating how the weapons were brought inside the campus.
“We will work with our schools and communities to strengthen the safeguards that protect our students and ensure that they can pursue their education without fear,” Marcos added in his statement.
Guide the youth
Meanwhile, Malacañang urged the public to stop making and tolerating threats on social media as it sets a bad example for the youth following the incident.
“Dito kasi nakikita na parang nato-tolerate pa ang pagbabanta sa buhay, pagkilala na may assassin, at handang pumatay. Hindi po ito magandang ehemplo,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
(These give the impression that threats against lives, acknowledging assassins, and willingness to kill seem to be tolerated. This is not a good example.)
Castro also emphasized that proper guidance to students is crucial in solving violence involving the youth.
“Panahon na po, hindi lamang po ang gobyerno, lahat po tayo especially kapag nasa school, kayo po ang magsilbing pangalawang guro sa ating mga kabataan.
(It is time, not just for the government, but for everyone, especially those who are in school, you should be the second teacher for our youth.)
The school shooting incident in Zamboanga City is the recent case added to a series of school violence involving students in the Philippines, following the Tacloban school shooting in June that also involved minors.
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