Angara: PH schools focused on academics, unprepared for shootings

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Education Secretary Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said the country's schools need stronger security, adding that the agency has focused on the academic performance of Filipino learners.

Angara said this in an interview in Banga, South Cotabato, over the weekend, in the wake of the third school shooting in 2026 that led to multiple deaths.

The Tacloban shooting saw the deaths of three students, while the Zamboanga shooting led to the deaths of two students, including the shooter.

He added that the DepEd would seek the help of other agencies to investigate the “true crime community” aspect following reports that the Banga National High School shooter was involved in it.

Angara said that the agency planned to roll out enhanced safety measures following the third case of deadly school shootings since June.

“'Yong security measures, talaga kailangang paigtingin dahil hindi talaga kami handa sa mga ganitong shootings eh. Na-concentrate tayo sa academic performance ng mga bata,” Angara said.

(The security measures, we really need to strengthen those because we are not ready for these types of shootings. We concentrated on the academic performance of children.)

Angara said the DepEd agency will seek the help of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate "true crime community."

“’Yon talaga ang gusto nating imbestigahin dahil hindi natin kabisado 'yan. Hihingi tayo ng tulong sa DICT, DILG, at siguro talagang dapat imbestigahan nang maigi itong mga… dahil mukhang naimpluwensiyahan siya,” Angara said.

(That is what we want to investigate because we are not familiar with that yet. We will ask for help from the DICT, DILG, and that is really what we want to investigate well… because it seemed like he was influenced.)

The DepEd secretary said that the agency has already purchased more metal detectors, but did not specify when they would be distributed.

He also clarified that while police may be present outside schools, officers are usually no longer allowed inside the premises because they are zones of peace.

Angara said that the DepEd is looking into how to improve mental health among the students, adding that the agency is hiring more school counselor associates. –Jean Mangaluz/NB, GMA News