Mom of student slain in Tacloban shooting welcomes House honor

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — The mother of slain San Jose National High School (SJNHS) student Chris Lorenz Fabian welcomed a House of Representatives resolution honoring her son but said the recognition could not erase the pain of losing him.

Erbea Tanglao Fabian said the family was grateful for the recognition but would have been happier if Chris were still alive to receive it.

“We are thankful, but there is still sadness because it would have been happier if Chris were here,” she said in an interview on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

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The House of Representatives adopted House Resolution No. 1464, commending and honoring the 15-year-old Grade 10 student for what it described as his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice during the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026.

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READ: Tacloban declares school shooting victim Chris Fabian as ‘Young Hero’

The resolution, with a Sept. 18 date but was made known on Sept.29, was introduced by House Speaker Faustino “Boji” Dy III, House Minority Floor Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan, who is from Eastern Samar.

Protected his classmates

The resolution cited how Chris secured the classroom door during the shooting to protect his classmates, sacrificing his own safety and ultimately his life.

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines also posthumously conferred on him the Gold Gallantry and Heroism Award, described in the resolution as the organization’s highest distinction for a scout who performs an act of self-sacrifice or lifesaving courage in service of others.

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The Pampanga Provincial Board had also declared Chris the “Pride of Pampanga,” according to the House resolution.

For his mother, however, the recognition also underscores the family’s continuing call for justice and measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

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She said she hoped there would be no more shooting incidents involving students inside school campuses.

“We hope so, but more than anything, we still want justice,” she said.

Lower the current threshold

She also called for a review of the law on the minimum age of criminal responsibility, saying she hoped Congress and the Senate would consider lowering the current threshold.

“We hope the age of criminal responsibility can be lowered. We hope that this can be enacted into law by Congress and the Senate,” she said.

Under Republic Act No. 9344, as amended by Republic Act No. 10630, children 15 years old or younger at the time of an offense are exempt from criminal liability and are instead subject to intervention programs.

Children above 15 but below 18 are generally exempt, unless they acted with discernment, in which case appropriate proceedings may apply.

The June 22 shooting at SJNHS left three students dead and injured 20 others. The alleged shooters, aged 14 and 15, were also students from said school with only the 15-year-old suspect charged for murder, frustrated murder and serious physical injuries. Both are in custody of a rehabilitation center run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.   

Chris, 15, was a Grade 10 student and an active Boy Scout. His family has since received several forms of recognition for his actions during the shooting.

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The House resolution said his act of protecting his classmates reflected values of courage, selflessness, and concern for others. /cb