Palace urges media restraint in reporting Zambo school shooting

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday urged media restraint in reporting incidents similar to the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) shooting, particularly if it involves minors.

At a briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said such reports must be handled with sensitivity, as youth may take unlawful actions as acceptable.

READ: Marcos orders probe into Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting

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“We reiterate our position that incidents involving minors, all state media must exercise the highest level of caution in how such tragedies are reported,” she said, reading a statement from Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez.

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Castro said the PCO will not impose restrictions on private media organizations; however, they are encouraged to exercise “extreme care and responsibility” in their coverage. 

“In particular, we asked for restraint in reporting that may compromise the dignity, safety and privacy of  minors. The bereaved families and ongoing response and investigation efforts and to avoid details that may encourage copycat acts,” Gomez’ statement also read.

Moreover, Castro said the Department of Education (DepEd) has already presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the results of its nationwide safety audit in schools.

“This school year, DepEd has also implemented the strengthened school safety protocols in accordance with the president’s order last year. On Aug. 25, there will also be a nationwide school safety drill, so that our schools will be better prepared,” the Palace official said.

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For its part, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is coordinating with DepEd, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government units, and schools to ensure the safety of students and school communities.

“Following the new incident in Zamboanga yesterday, we continue to review the security situation and existing measures in schools, particularly to determine if anything needs to be added or adjusted,” Castro said, referring to a statement from the PNP.

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“Regarding the issue of copycats — specifically the possibility of copycat threats — we should not jump to conclusions until we have validated information. If a report of a specific or credible threat arises, we will immediately validate and assess it alongside our police force and other concerned agencies,” she also said. /das