The Tacloban school shooting had 23 victims—three of them died and two are critically wounded and are still fighting for their lives.
The Tacloban school shooting had 23 victims—three of them died and two are critically wounded and are still fighting for their lives.
oan, meanwhile, is the youngest among her siblings. Her ambition is to be a nurse.
Seventeen-year-old Joan, meanwhile, was shot in the head.
Her mother, Rowena Eracho, said she regrets allowing her daughter to go to school despite not feeling well.
“Sana hindi ko na lang pinayagan ang anak ko pumasok kasi sabi niya, ma, parang maano ‘yung katawan niya raw…mabigat. Sabi ko, ikaw… kung papasok ka kasi may report daw sila. Nagpumilit siyang pumasok so pinayagan ko,” Joan’s mom said.
(I wish I hadn’t allowed my child to go to school because she said, ‘Mom, my body feels… heavy.’ I said, ‘It’s up to you… if you want to go,’ because she mentioned having a presentation that day. She insisted on going, so I let her.)
Initial investigation shows that the Tacloban school shooting on June 22 might be “premeditated” or well-planned and one possible motive investigators are looking at is bullying.
“Sinasabi po nila, ‘yung isa raw po ay pinagtatawanan ‘yung haircut niya. The other one ay siguro dahil maliit siya, pero unconfirmed po ito. Sa kanila lang po nanggaling ito,” Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson P/Col. Allan Rae Co said.
(One of the children in conflict with the law said that he was being made fun of because of their haircut, while the other was supposedly targeted because of his height. But that’s still unconfirmed since it only came from them.)
Bullying refers to the repetitive actions of an individual—whether physical, verbal, or electronic—that cause physical or psychological and/or emotional harm to another person, according to Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.
Bullying includes any unwanted physical contact with a victim, like punching, pushing, and kicking.
The repetitive expression of slanderous statements or negative comments about a person’s appearance, clothing, or body is also a form of bullying.
Among the initial signs that parents or guardians should look out for are sudden changes in a child’s behavior.
For instance, if a child who is typically expressive and excited to share about their day in school suddenly returns home displaying a negative shift in mood.
The second indicator is the behavioral changes in a child’s eating or sleeping patterns.
According to Inocencio, the changes in a child’s routine are his/her attempt to respond to a stressor.
“Kahit naman tayo bilang mga adults, kapag mayroon tayong dinadalang problem, minsan wala kang gana na kumain. So, it’s the same for kids,” he added.
(Even as adults, when we are carrying a heavy burden or dealing with a problem, we sometimes lose our appetite. It is exactly the same for children.)
Inocencio said that during such situations, the attention and intervention of parents/guardians are necessary.
“It would be good for us to check in na parang, ‘Oh, sino yun? Parang ngayon ko lang narinig yung pangalan na ito,’ o ‘Bago mo ba siyang friend,’ ganyan. Kasi it just gives us a better idea of where or anong nangyayari sa buhay nung anak natin,” Inocencio added.
(It would be good for us to check in and say something like, ‘Oh, who is that? I don’t think I’ve heard that name before,’ or ‘Is that a new friend of yours?’ This simply gives us a better idea of what is happening in our child’s life.)
When it comes to physical bullying, among the signs that parents should look out for are stomach pain, headaches due to stress, or physical injuries such as bruises or abrasions.
“If a child is being physically bullied, you might see them have injuries, like bruises. Their clothes might get torn. Or their belongings might get ‘lost’ or be damaged,” United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.
However, the observation of these signs should be corroborated with your child to confirm if the physical injuries are indeed caused by bullying.
The students and teaches affected by the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City will undergo psychosocial intervention, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the Department of Education (DepEd) will lead the intervention and will be supported by the DSWD and the Department of Health (DOH).
“Ang nagis-spearhead into dahil nasa loob siya ng school ay sina Education Secretary Sonny Angara, sa pamumuno ng DepEd,” Gatchalian told “Unang Balita” on Friday.
(Education Secretary Sonny Angara and DepEd will lead the psychosocial intervention because it happened inside a school.)
“Nag-organize sila ng multiple sessions kasama na ang DSWD at DOH. So it’s a series…of psychosocial decompression, kasama na ang trauma management. Ang importante dito matulungan nila na ma-process ang nangyari,” he said.
(DepEd organized multiple sessions with the DSWD and the DOH. So it’s a series…of psychosocial decompression, including trauma management. What’s important is to help them process what happened.)
GoreBox developer Felix Filip, the person behind the mobile game authorities are linking to the deadly Tacloban City school shooting, has declined to attend the Senate probe on the tragic incident.
“Nakakadismaya na pinili ni Mr. Filip na huwag dumalo sa darating na hearing namin lalo na’t marami sana akong gustong malaman mula sa kanya mismo,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday.
(It is disappointing that Mr. Filip decided not to participate in the hearing, especially because we had a lot of questions on the game he developed.)
Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, said she will seek the help of the German Embassy to facilitate the participation of Germany-based Felix Filip in the legislative inquiry scheduled next week, July 1.
“My committee remains open to facilitate his attendance and participation in our investigation in case he changes his mind. Hindi dito nagtatapos ang aming pagnanais na marinig siya,” she added.
(My committee remains open to facilitate his attendance and participation in our investigation in case he changes his mind. Our desire to hear his side do not end here.) —VAL, GMA News
The shooting at a school in Tacloban City – which left three students dead – is considered as the first case of mass school shooting in Philippine history.
According to Ivan Mayrina’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, there were other cases of shootings at other schools in past years even before Monday’s shooting incident.
Data from GMA News Research showed that in 2025, a student was shot by her ex-boyfriend inside a school in Nueva Ecija.
In the same year, a student shot a teacher inside a school in Lanao del Sur after the student received a failing grade. The teacher died in the incident.
In 2023, a medtech student was beaten up and shot by a classmate at a parking lot of a university in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Earlier in 2022, former Lamitan, Basilan Mayor Rose Furigao and two others were shot dead during a graduation ceremony at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.
In 2019, a security guard shot a student at a high school in Calamba City, Laguna.
The recent incidents of shooting and stabbing in several schools in the country have raised concerns, with calls from Malacañang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to lower the criminal liability age to 12.
Under the Republic Act No. 8344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, as amended by Republic Act. No. 10630, a child of 15 years of age and below, is exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an intervention program as provided by the law.
“A child above fifteen (15) years but below eighteen (18) years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act,” the amended law stated.
The ballistics and autopsy reports on the fatalities of the Tacloban City school shooting indicate that the victims sustained gunshot wounds inflicted from a distance.
According to Raffy Tima’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, the PNP Regional Forensics Unit 8 has completed its ballistics and autopsy examinations on the three students killed in Monday’s shooting incident at the San Jose National High School.
Authorities stated that they are currently finalizing the official report for submission to case investigators.
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