It was a Monday morning, mid-session, at a government school with more than 1,500 enrolled students. Children were in their seats. Teachers were going about their routines. Then, somewhere around 9 a.m., gunshots broke through the ordinary noise of a school day at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City — and everything changed.
Two students, aged 14 and 15, both Grade 9 learners, walked onto the campus carrying firearms. One had a 9mm pistol. The other carried a .38 caliber revolver. They entered a classroom and opened fire. When students scattered in panic, the two suspects reportedly chased some of them into a second room and fired again. By the time police secured the scene, three students were dead and seven others were wounded. Most of the victims were female.
Videos that spread quickly online showed students crouched under desks in darkened classrooms, crying, whispering, some of them calling out for their mothers. Other clips captured crowds of terrified young people streaming out of the school gates, some holding each other as they ran. It’s hard to watch those videos without feeling the particular, sickening weight of how ordinary the setting was — just a school, just a morning, until it wasn’t.
Police recovered at least 40 shell casings from the scene. Shortly after the shooting, one suspect was taken into custody on school property. After locals notified the police, the second ran away to a nearby home and was discovered hours later. Chief of regional police, Brig. During their initial interrogation, both suspects claimed to have experienced bullying at school, Gen. Jason Capoy told reporters. He did not elaborate on that assertion, and an inquiry was still in progress. It’s still unclear if the bullying accusation is the whole story, just a portion of it, or something the authorities will look into further as the case progresses.
It is already evident that the attack was made possible by a significant security flaw. Despite its size, the school only had one guard stationed to watch over several entrances and exits. It’s hard to ignore that one detail. The fact that two armed teenagers could enter a campus with 1,500 students without being noticed indicates a systemic issue rather than a singular one.
One suspect’s aunt, a police officer, was identified as the owner of the gun, and she was under investigation. The source of the other weapon was not immediately revealed. In the Philippines, where unlicensed firearms are still widely available, gun-related crimes are not unusual. However, school shootings fall into a different and much rarer category here, which could contribute to the incident’s negative impact. There’s a feeling that a lot of people just weren’t prepared for this level of violence to occur in a Tacloban school hallway.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered law enforcement to bolster security in public areas, workplaces, and schools and demanded a comprehensive investigation. Given that both suspects are minors, the Department of Justice promised to keep a close eye on the case. A 2006 Philippine law prohibits the 14-year-old from facing criminal charges. Depending on who you ask, that may or may not feel adequate, and considering what transpired, that discussion is unlikely to end amicably.
On Monday, San Jose National High School and two neighboring schools suspended classes. While the investigation is ongoing, the Tacloban City Police Office asked the public to refrain from disseminating unconfirmed information and offered condolences to the victims’ families. There were more police officers stationed nearby.
Now, three families are dealing with an irreversible loss. The memory of hiding under desks and wondering if the footsteps outside the door were for them is shared by dozens of other students. Eventually, San Jose National High School will reopen. What it reopens as and whether anyone in a position of authority takes that question seriously enough are the more difficult questions.
