PNP Vows Airtight Case in Tacloban School Shooting as Parents Face Probe, Another Attack Foiled in Leyte

In a recent ANC 24/7 report on the violence that struck San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte, this week, police detailed how three students died and 20 others suffered injuries when two Grade 9 classmates opened fire at approximately 9:20 AM on June 22. The Philippine National Police has vowed to build an airtight case against the 15-year-old suspect while simultaneously probing whether the parents and guardians of both minors bear legal responsibility for the attack that has shaken the Eastern Visayas region to its core.

PNP Vows Airtight Case in Tacloban School Shooting as Parents Face Probe, Another Attack Foiled in Leyte

Manila, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has assured the public that it has built an airtight case against the 15-year-old suspect in the June 22 Tacloban school shooting, even as investigators expand their probe into the possible criminal liability of the suspect's parents and aunt who may have had access to the firearms used in the attack.

The Shooting at San Jose National High School

The attack occurred inside the campus grounds of San Jose National High School in Barangay San Jose, Tacloban City, a public institution serving hundreds of students from nearby barangays. Police described the incident as the first time they had encountered a crime of such violence inside a school in the region. The 15-year-old and 14-year-old suspects, both enrolled in Grade 9 at the same school, used firearms later traced to a policewoman assigned in Eastern Visayas and a private security agency.

PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed that the suspects appeared to have selected an intended target among the student body. The shooting left families in Tacloban City mourning three students — with 20 others injured and rushed to local hospitals for treatment. School officials immediately suspended classes indefinitely as PNP personnel secured the site and began forensic evidence collection.

Suspects and Legal Proceedings

The 15-year-old suspect now faces murder charges under Philippine law, while the 14-year-old remains exempt from criminal liability under Section 6 of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, or RA 9344. The PNP has vowed to build an airtight case against the older suspect, with investigators citing digital footprints that include social media activity, search histories, and participation in online communities.

One suspect reportedly wore clothing resembling the attire of the 1999 Columbine perpetrators — a detail investigators are actively examining as they map the influences behind the attack. Both teens claimed they had been victims of bullying at San Jose National High School, though police have not yet confirmed those allegations through witness statements or Department of Education records.

Probe Into Gun Sources and Parental Liability

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that the PNP is investigating the possible liability of the parents and aunt of both suspects for potential negligence in firearm custody. The policewoman to whom one of the guns was registered has been relieved from duty and placed under formal investigation by the Eastern Visayas police regional office.

Remulla emphasized that investigators must determine how the weapons left official and agency custody and reached the hands of two 14- and 15-year-old students. The inquiry directly involves questions of accountability under the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act as enforced by the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office.

Another Potential Attack Foiled in Tolosa

Authorities in Leyte also took a 14-year-old Grade 10 student from Tolosa National High School into custody after he allegedly planned a separate attack and posted threatening content on Facebook in the days following the Tacloban shooting. The swift intervention by police, working with school officials and parents, prevented a second potential mass casualty incident within the same province.

Interior Secretary Remulla confirmed that the Tolosa student created multiple Facebook accounts to disseminate threatening content that spread alarm across the community. The case has added fresh urgency to PNP monitoring of social media threats originating from high schools across Leyte.

Calls for Stricter Gun Laws and Juvenile Justice Reforms

The Tacloban shooting has reignited debate in Congress over juvenile justice. Speaker Martin Romualdez and former President Rodrigo Duterte visited Tacloban to meet with affected families and local officials. Senator Kiko Pangilinan warned that parents may face legal liability for negligence under the Juvenile Justice Law, even as lawmakers clash over whether to lower the age of criminal responsibility below 15.

Remulla has urged Congress to tighten gun control measures nationwide, arguing that the Tacloban shooting proves current firearm regulations fail to keep weapons away from minors. The Department of the Interior and Local Government has directed regional offices to review all licensed firearms held by personnel and security agencies in Eastern Visayas.

Impact on Tacloban Families and School Communities

Parents across Tacloban City are grappling with difficult decisions about sending their children back to school. The three fatalities — all students — have left local barangay communities organizing bayanihan support for grieving households, including funeral assistance and trauma counseling for surviving siblings and classmates. Guidance counselors at San Jose National High School have begun trauma response sessions for the 20 injured students and their peers who witnessed the attack.

School shootings remain extremely rare in the Philippines. The last comparable case occurred in Nueva Ecija in 2025, when a 15-year-old female student was shot inside a classroom. For families in Leyte and across the Visayas, the Tacloban shooting has shattered a sense of safety that many had taken for granted inside public school campuses.

What to Watch For

Congress is expected to take up amendments to both the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and the Comprehensive Firearms Law when sessions resume. The Department of Education is preparing nationwide guidelines on school security protocols and student mental health screening. Meanwhile, the PNP continues its digital forensics investigation into online influences on both Tacloban suspects.

The outcome of the parental liability probe could set a crucial legal precedent for how Filipino courts interpret accountability when minors access firearms from adult guardians. For the families of the three students who lost their lives inside a Tacloban classroom, the search for justice — and answers — has only just begun.

By Bella Reyes, Staff Writer