Following a tragic school shooting in Zamboanga City that claimed two lives, including the perpetrator, Filipino lawmakers are demanding an urgent investigation into how minors are gaining access to firearms. Representative Antonio Tinio and Senator Joel Villanueva have called for immediate accountability, insisting that registered gun owners must be held responsible if their weapons end up in the hands of children. This latest incident, which involved a weapon issued by the Bureau of Customs to the shooter’s father, highlights a disturbing trend, as it marks the second major school shooting in the country in just two months.

The situation has sparked a heated debate regarding responsibility and school safety. While officials like Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara are pushing for stricter gun control and responsible ownership, presidential spokesperson Claire Castro faced intense backlash for suggesting that teachers are partly to blame for school violence. Education advocates and teachers' unions have roundly condemned these remarks as baseless, pointing out that the government’s failure to provide adequate support and mental health resources—such as the severe shortage of guidance counselors—is the real issue at hand. As the nation grapples with these safety concerns, there is a mounting demand for the government to move beyond blame and address the systemic lack of protection for students.