Six students were killed and 17 others seriously wounded after gunfire erupted at a high school in South Cotabato on Friday, sending terrified teenagers fleeing for their lives.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development confirmed the updated death toll following the shooting at Banga National High School in Barangay Benitez, Banga, South Cotabato.
However, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr., who responded to the incident, said three students were killed in the attack.
The gunfire broke out around lunchtime, triggering panic as students scrambled for safety and emergency responders rushed to the campus.
Social workers were deployed to provide psychological first aid to students and grieving families. Classes across the municipality were also cancelled.
The Department of Education said it was “deeply concerned” about the incident and was coordinating with police and local authorities to protect learners, teachers and school personnel.
Officials also urged the public not to circulate unverified videos or information about the attack.
“I am saddened by this incident. We shall do our best to prevent any repeat of this kind of atrocity in our province,” Tamayo said.
Earlier local reports identified the suspected shooter as a minor student who allegedly turned the weapon on himself after opening fire. Authorities have yet to establish the full sequence of events, including how the firearm was obtained and what prompted the shooting.
The motive remains under investigation.
The Banga shooting comes after two other deadly incidents involving students at Philippine schools in recent months.
In June, two teenage students opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three classmates and wounding about 20 others. The suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested.
Investigators examined bullying and exposure to violent online content among possible factors in that case.
Then, on August 18, a Grade 9 student at the junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City shot and killed a Grade 10 student before taking his own life.
Another student was wounded by gunfire, while more than 20 others were hurt in the panic and stampede that followed.
Authorities said the firearms used in the Zamboanga attack belonged to the student’s father, a customs police officer.
The latest shooting has renewed questions about security inside Philippine schools and how minors are gaining access to firearms.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. had earlier described the Banga incident as “contained” and an “isolated case.”
But the confirmed toll of six dead and 17 seriously wounded has intensified concerns over school safety as investigators work to determine exactly what happened.
For the families now mourning their children — and those waiting anxiously beside hospital beds — the investigation offers little comfort as they confront the devastating aftermath of another school shooting. (with reports from John Unson)
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