A Philippine advocacy group has warned against using the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City to justify tougher penalties for children, saying the attack exposed failures in education, mental health care, and youth welfare.
The Center for Women’s Resources said the June 22 attack at San Jose National High School, “demands accountability – not from children, but from a government that has long neglected the needs of Filipino youth.”
The organization argued that the shooting should be treated as evidence of deeper systemic problems rather than as justification for more punitive policies.
“We reject any attempt to exploit this tragedy to justify harsher punishments against children,” the group said.
The group argued that the government’s failure to provide quality education, accessible mental health care, social protection, and meaningful opportunities for young people lies at the heart of the crisis.
The group pointed to longstanding deficiencies in the education system, saying schools continue to face shortages of classrooms, facilities, guidance counselors, and mental health services.
It added that nearly five million young people are out of school, while more than 24 million Filipinos are not functionally literate.
It also opposed proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility and rejected calls for a greater police presence on campuses.
“Likewise, proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility will neither address the root causes of violence nor prevent similar tragedies from happening again. Nor will deploying more police in schools make students safer,” the group said.
The organization urged greater investment in guidance counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, child protection mechanisms, libraries, and school facilities.
It said schools “should be spaces of learning, growth, critical thinking, and care — not environments defined by surveillance, fear, and militarization.”
The group also called for greater accountability from adults who own firearms.
“The weapons used in this incident belonged to adult gun owners, and responsibility cannot be shifted solely onto the minors,” it said.
The group warned that punitive measures and increased militarization would not address the conditions it said contribute to youth violence.
The June 22 shooting killed three students and injured at least 15 others, making it one of the deadliest school attacks in recent Philippine history.
Police arrested two students, aged 14 and 15, and said the attack appeared to have been planned. Investigators are examining reports of bullying and possible online influences.
Authorities also said one of the suspects had previously been taken to a firing range and was familiar with handling firearms.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines earlier urged the government and education stakeholders to pursue “urgent, holistic reform that prioritizes integral human development over purely technical goals.”
Archbishop John Du of Palo likewise called on families, communities, and the nation to reflect on “how we have raised our children and young people and on the values we have imparted to them.”
The Center for Women’s Resources said lasting school safety depends on addressing the conditions affecting young people’s well-being rather than expanding punitive measures.
“Safe schools are built through education, care, and social justice — not through fear, militarization, and criminalization,” the group said.
