CIDG thwarts mass shooting in Leyte high school allegedly planned by 14-year-old
Police intercepted another planned shooting and stabbing attack in a Leyte high school, which was allegedly planned by a 14-year-old Grade 10 student, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
In a press briefing on Thursday, June 25, Remulla said the alarm was raised by Sen. Bam Aquino, who called him at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, apparently from Tacloban.
"[He] gave me a tip that there was chatter in Tacloban [about] an impending mass shooting that was about to occur. I immediately referred it to the CIDG that did the investigation," he said.
According to the report submitted by the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the attack was being planned against Tolosa National High School in Leyte. CIDG retrieved a message posted on Facebook, originally written in Waray and roughly translated to English by Remulla's team.
It read, "Hello, send this to your friends. Yo from Tolosa. Prepare yourselves, especially you, as you owe me. Get ready, I will disrupt the school. You won't know me, but you will recognize me. There's no time, no day. Be prepared for whoever gets shot or stabbed. We don't care. Good luck to you at Tolosa National High School."
An investigation by the Regional Field Unit 8 of the CIDG found the suspect, who was a student in the same school, had created multiple Facebook accounts to disseminate the message, which spread rapidly across social media, reaching students, parents, and the general public. The RFU-8-CIDG confirmed the suspect's identity "through social media analysis and information from concerned individuals."
However, once the police engaged with the minor, the suspect deleted the Facebook accounts and appeared "hesitant and uncooperative due to the fear of repercussions," said Remulla. The suspect's parents likewise refused to provide information about the incident.
"So...there was no incident," the Interior secretary assured. "Pero sinabi niya, nag-post na siya na may mangyayari. Nang malaman namin, inaktohan kaagad namin."
Based on the police investigation, the suspect's plan was apparently borne of personal and family issues.
"Following engagement with their family, and along with the investigation results, the threat appears to be neutralized and inactive," Remulla said. Police saw no evidence of an organized plan or involvement of others. The suspect and the suspect's family had no apparent access to firearms, either.
Remulla added that the planned attack may have been influenced by the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban on June 22 allegedly carried out by a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, both of whom have been arrested, with the older one facing a criminal complaint.
The Interior secretary called on social media users to immediately call 911 if they see or hear about any chatter online about planned mass shootings or violence.
A call for tighter gun laws
Further in his press conference, Remulla expressed his frustration about "a few infirmities of the law, which I will recommend to Congress to revise."
"There are millions of gun owners in the Philippines. Pero ang culpability ng may-ari ay napakababa," he said.
"Sa nangyari sa Tacloban na kinuha ang baril, kung private owner, ang case niya is only civil, walang criminal," Remulla continued. "Wala kaming ma-charge dahil bitin ang batas."
"I recommend to Congress to rewrite the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) of gun ownership and the responsibility of owning firearms and to put a criminal aspect in the illegal use or illegal transfer of their guns. People have to be responsible gun owners," said Remulla.
The law, however, already imposes criminal liability on irresponsible gun owners, even private citizens.
Under the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, or Republic Act No. 10591, a gun owner is criminally liable if their weapon is used to commit a crime.
"In the Philippines, a registered gun owner faces massive criminal, administrative, and civil exposure if a minor accesses their weapon to commit a crime," Atty. Hyacinth Rejuso Merioles told PhilSTAR L!fe in a previous interview.
"Handing over or failing to secure a firearm so that an unauthorized person can use it carries direct criminal penalties under illegal possession laws," she added. "For state employees or law enforcement officers, this also brings immediate administrative charges, termination, and loss of benefits."
Aside from having to face criminal charges, a parent or legal guardian whose gun is used by a minor will also have civil liability, per Article 2180 of the Civil Code.
During the Tacloban shooting incident, one of the suspects used a 9mm Glock 17 owned by a police officer, who is facing a summary dismissal as well as a pre-charge investigation, according to the PNP.
GoreBox ban
In addition to Remulla's advocacy for a more solid gun law, he also called for the permanent ban of the mobile game GoreBox in the Philippines.
Police investigation found that one of the Grade 9 suspects who carried out the San Jose National High School shooting regularly played the online game.
On June 23, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Renato "Aboy" Paraiso announced in a statement that CICC was "blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked."
He added that by temporarily blocking the game, authorities will be able to assess the platform and determine whether the game played a role in the suspects' actions.
"Among other applications, we will be conducting strict monitoring to gain greater visibility into online activities involving GoreBox," Paraiso added.
In suggesting the permanent ban of the online game, Remulla explained his belief that "it desensitizes young people into the elements of death, violence, and murder."
In February, CIDG stopped another planned mass shooting that was supposed to be carried out in a school in CALABARZON, which the suspects, all minors, allegedly discussed after being groomed into violence by predators lurking in chatrooms used by players on the online gaming platform Roblox.
