The Police Regional Office 8 has taken into custody two junior high school students allegedly involved in the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, on Monday (June 22, 2026). (Photos from Philippine News Agency / Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — The school shooting in Leyte should trigger an “urgent and thorough” review of the law prescribing the minimum age of criminal responsibility, Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said on Tuesday.
In a statement, he said while the 2006 Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act was crafted with the “noblest of intentions,” its protections for young offenders should not extend to those who deliberately commit crimes.
“A protection designed for the vulnerable must never become a sanctuary for the calculating,” Garbin said.
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