Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin “Martin” Romualdez expressed grief over the fatal shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City and directed his office to help the affected families, in a statement released Monday, June 22.
“I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragic shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that claimed the lives of students and left several others injured,” Romualdez said. He extended condolences to the victims’ families, the injured students, and the wider school community.
The shooting took place at around 9 a.m. inside the school in Barangay San Jose while classes were ongoing. Three students were killed and several others wounded, with outlets reporting the number of injured as either five or seven as figures were still being updated through the day. Manila Bulletin reported that the three fatalities were two female and one male student.
Two minor suspects, both Grade 9 students of the school, were taken into police custody. The Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) said one suspect was arrested at the scene, while the second initially fled and was later apprehended. PRO-8 Director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy told reporters that the suspects, aged 14 and 15, were “close friends” who had reportedly been bullied since Grade 7, though he stressed the investigation was ongoing. Tacloban City police chief Col. Noelito Getigan said the firearms recovered were a 9mm Glock pistol and a .38-caliber revolver, and that investigators were still determining how the weapons were brought onto campus. Capoy noted the school had multiple entrances but only one security guard on duty at the time.
In his statement, Romualdez said he had directed his office to coordinate with local authorities and government agencies on immediate assistance to the affected families. He also called on law enforcement to conduct “a thorough and swift investigation so that all those responsible are held fully accountable under the law,” and urged reflection on student safety. “We owe it to our children, our teachers, and every Filipino family to make our schools places where young people can learn without fear,” he said.
The Department of Education called the incident a “high-alert situation” and said it had deployed medical and psychosocial support staff to assist students and personnel. The Tacloban City government suspended classes at San Jose National High School and two nearby schools. The minor suspects are to be turned over to social welfare authorities in accordance with juvenile justice laws.
