BOC relieves father of school shooting suspect

MANILA, Philippines — Following the shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, the Bureau of Customs has relieved the suspect’s father of his duty as BOC district police chief.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno yesterday ordered the relief of Lt. Lars Jalani II, head of the BOC Enforcement and Security Service in Zamboanga.

Jalani is reportedly the school shooter’s father.

Two students, including the gunman, died yesterday morning on the Junior High School campus.

The suspect, a Grade 9 student, entered school premises carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45 caliber pistol.

“Nepomuceno has ordered a comprehensive accounting and inventory of all issued firearms across the bureau and a review of compliance with all BOC policies and issuances on gun safety, firearm custody, transport, carrying, storage and safekeeping,” the BOC said.

Probers are determining whether the suspect’s firearm belonged to his father or was issued by the BOC, as well as how he obtained the gun, BOC Office of the Commissioner deputy chief of staff Chris Noel Bendijo said.

‘Not a good example’

President Marcos has ordered a thorough probe into the incident.

Taking a jab at state officials, Palace press officer Claire Castro said “threats against lives, the hiring of assassin and readiness to kill seem to be tolerated. This is not a good example. This should serve as a lesson.”

“Do not tolerate these kinds of speech and abuses, especially among public servants,” Castro added.

Recent incidents of school violence are a manifestation of a culture of violence brought by the previous administration’s extrajudicial killings, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said.

Funding for mental and psychosocial support and services in schools and communities must be prioritized, the group stressed.

Nihilistic violent extremism

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and Sen. Risa Hontiveros condemned the latest incident as the chamber resumes on Thursday its probe into school violence and “nihilistic violent extremism” among the youth.

Hontiveros said it is too early to assume that online games or nihilistic violent extremism influenced the suspect.

The suspect reportedly livestreamed the attack.

Senate inquiries have linked recent school shooting incidents to adult groomers, nihilistic violent extremism network “764” and video game “GoreBox.”

Influenced by games?

The Zamboanga school shooter could have been influenced by violent video games, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

“The shooter, however young and troubled he may have been, is himself a victim of what I believe are video games inhabited by actors who induce terror, influencing young and fallible minds,” Remulla said.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is determining the extent of online game platform Roblox’s involvement in the incident.

While authorities have not yet established how the platform may be tied to the case, the Department of Information and Communications Technology has reached out to Roblox.

Video footage of the incident is being taken down by tech giant Meta.

Enact laws vs school violence

Congress and the Marcos administration should sign into law the proposed Child Safety Against Gun Violence Act and Digital Safety of Minors Act, Reps. Chel Diokno and David Suarez said.

“Through this measure, we are not banning technology or restricting young people’s right to learn and express themselves. We are simply ensuring that digital platforms are designed with the needs and safety of children as the priority,” Suarez said.

Rep. Leila de Lima said it is “very alarming that less than two months after the Tacloban school shooting, another act of violence like this has occurred.”

Senators Joel Villanueva and Mark Villar called for the passage of the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces Act and Learning Institution’s Guaranteed Threat Avoidance and Safety Act, respectively. — Alexis Romero, Bella Cariaso, Delon Porcalla, Neil Jayson Servallos, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Emmanuel Tupas, Rainier Allan Ronda