Vice President Sara Duterte has accused the Marcos administration of failing to detect threats before they turn deadly, pointing to the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead and others wounded.
“This tragedy also exposes the failure of the government to recognize the importance of intelligence gathering and identifying threats before lives are lost,” Duterte said in a statement dated June 23, 2026. “We cannot continue reacting only after another child is hurt or killed.”
She argued that the continuing loss of young lives should serve as a wake-up call to the administration, and said the government must act now to make schools safer and better protect learners. Duterte also tied the shooting to what she described as recurring gaps in youth protection, citing the earlier deaths of two student-athletes during a basketball training program and warning that learners had been harmed before, both inside schools and during school activities.
Children must be shielded from radical influences, she added, whether from outside the campus, online platforms, or individuals who exploit the vulnerabilities of the young, as well as from abuse, neglect, and violence within the institutions entrusted with their welfare. Education is not only about academics, Duterte said, arguing that what children learn and who influences them are intertwined with national security and stability.
The shooting took place at around 9 a.m. on Monday, June 22, while classes were ongoing. Police took two Grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, into custody as the suspected gunmen; one was arrested at the scene and the other after a pursuit operation, the Tacloban City Police Office said. Authorities said the suspects used a Glock 9mm pistol and a .38 caliber revolver, and that the identities of the minors were being withheld in compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. Police cited a grudge stemming from school bullying as a possible motive, though the investigation is ongoing.
Accounts of the number of wounded have varied. Several outlets, including GMA News Online and the Philippine News Agency, initially reported between five and seven injured, while Rappler later reported at least 11 students hurt. The Department of Education classified the incident as a “high-alert situation” and condemned the violence, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation and heightened security in schools and public places, according to Malacañang. Classes at San Jose National High School and two nearby schools were suspended.
Duterte’s remarks land amid sustained political friction between her office and the administration, as she faces impeachment proceedings in the Senate.
