A 15-year-old accused of opening fire at a Tacloban City school wanted to know one thing as civilians seized him: whether he would end up behind bars. According to a report by “24 Oras,” the teenager asked, “Makukulong ba ‘ko? Mape-preso ba ‘ko?” at the moment he was caught.
That question has taken on weight because of what investigators say preceded the attack. Police have flagged a chat exchange between the 15-year-old and a 14-year-old accomplice in which the two reportedly believed their ages would shield them from punishment. The two are accused of shooting up San Jose National High School, leaving three people dead and 20 wounded.
The arrest itself unfolded almost by chance. FO2 Ludwig Zosa happened to be near the campus when he noticed students streaming out in tears. Some of them told him a shooting had taken place and that there were wounded inside. One child clung to his hand and, speaking in Waray, pointed out which of the departing students was the gunman.
The suspect, Zosa said, had blended into the crowd of schoolmates filing off the grounds. At one point the teenager draped his arm over the shoulder of a girl slightly shorter than him. Rather than act immediately and risk a scene, Zosa held back and watched, moving in only once the suspect had turned away. Civilians then grabbed hold of the 15-year-old.
Investigators have since concluded that the teenager acted with discernment when he fired inside the school, and have filed murder and frustrated murder complaints against him. The case has reignited calls to revisit the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, which currently fixes the age of criminal responsibility at 15.
