The city government is ramping up efforts to improve safety and security in schools including plans to conduct active shooter drills and strengthen mental health interventions for students.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the Local School Board has already discussed measures to protect schools following recent violent incidents involving students topbilled by the Tacloban City school shooting which killed three students and is now considered as the first case of mass school shooting in the country.
Among the measures being prepared is the implementation of active shooter drills in schools for which concerned offices are currently holding meetings to determine how the drills will be carried out.
The mayor said they are also engaging with parents, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), psychologists and mental health professionals to identify students who may be experiencing mental health issues at an early stage for immediate intervention.
The mayor said increasing police visibility is only a temporary solution.
“What must be addressed are the root causes of aggressive behavior among young people. We must know and understand the factors that trigger such incidents,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mayor also urged caution in calls to lower the age of criminal responsibility, an issue actively being debated following the Tacloban City incident.
He clarified that minors are not simply released when they commit offenses, as existing laws require them to undergo proper custody, intervention and rehabilitation through the City Social Welfare office.
He added that psychological assessments are also conducted with the help of health professionals, including the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
Magalong said any proposal to amend the age of criminal responsibility should be carefully studied and based on research rather than on immediate reactions.
“We should not make decisions hastily. Sometimes, those knee-jerk reactions can do more harm than good. So, once again, we need to examine the issue carefully. Is there an existing study or any previous research showing that the age of criminal responsibility should be lowered? It should be studied thoroughly before making any decision,” he said. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
