Marcos on school shootings: Parents observe kids’ behavioral changes

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday urged parents to watch for behavioral changes among their children as he called for greater vigilance to prevent school violence following a series of incidents involving students.

The call came after school shooting incidents in Tacloban City, Zamboanga City, and South Cotabato that resulted in several deaths and injuries.

READ: Angara confirms: Reported Sultan Kudarat school shooting ‘false alarm’

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“Bantayan po natin nang mabuti ang ating mga bata, ang ating mga anak. Bantayan po natin na hindi sila nasasama sa mga ganyang klaseng kagagawan. At ito po ay hindi madaling gawin, kailangan po nakabantay tayong lahat at sabay-sabay tayong lahat,” Marcos said in his remarks after visiting Patul Elementary School in Santiago City, Isabela.

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(We must closely watch over our children, our young people. We must make sure that they do not get involved in these kinds of acts. This is not easy to do—we all need to be vigilant and work together.)

“Sabay-sabay, kasama ang mga magulang – siyempre kayo ang una na kailangan tingnan ninyo ‘yung mga kabataan kung nagbabago, magiging masyadong malungkot o masyadong galit o lahat na, basta kailangan bantayan,” he continued.

(We must do this together, including the parents. Of course, you are the first ones who need to watch your children for changes in their behavior—if they become unusually sad, angry, or anything else. We simply need to keep a close eye on them.)

Marcos stressed that protecting young people is a shared responsibility among parents, teachers, and the government.

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“Pareho ‘yung national government pati local government, kailangan po tayong lahat ay magkaisa at tulungan natin at bantayan natin na tiyakin na ang mga bata, ang mga anak natin ay makapag-aral nang mabuti at sila ay ligtas at walang masamang pangyayari ang ating makikita muli,” Marcos said.

(We need everyone—the national government and local governments—to work together and help ensure that our children can study well and remain safe, so that we do not see any more unfortunate incidents.)

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READ: Marcos condemns, orders thorough probe into South Cotabato shooting

On Wednesday, reports of a shooting incident at Isulan National High School in Sultan Kudarat province made rounds on social media, which Education Secretary Sonny Angara later tagged as a false alarm.

This was not the first time Marcos assured the public of government action on school violence. In a speech in Pasay City on Sept. 28, he said the government was committed to providing parents and communities with the knowledge and resources needed to prevent similar incidents.

“Hindi katanggap-tanggap ‘yung mga pangyayari na nakita natin sa Tacloban, sa Zamboanga, sa South Cotabato. At ito talaga ay dumudugo ang puso, hindi lamang ng mga pamilya, kapamilya ng mga nasawi, kung hindi ang buong bansa,” Marcos said in his speech.

(What happened in Tacloban, Zamboanga, and South Cotabato is unacceptable. It truly breaks our hearts, not only the families and relatives of those who died, but the entire country.)

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“So be assured that the government is working closely with our teachers, parents, barangay worker, and other stakeholders to make our schools more secure. We are committed to providing our youth, our parents, and communities with the knowledge and resources to prevent and respond to school violence,” he also said. /jpv