The deadly chemistry needed only two major ingredients: parents who raised the child idolizing Rodrigo Duterte’s kill kill kill, and, an unbending belief that the Juvenile Justice Law allowed minors below 15 years old to kill and go scot-free.
Both were shaped by fake news. In the first, it was just akin to the parents saying “Son, it is wrong to kill, but if it is Tatay who says kill, then it is right.” The second fake ingredient was algorithm-pushed when Kiko Pangilinan, principal author of the law, was running for vice president in 2022. He needed to be beaten at the polls by Sara Duterte.
Of course minors in juvenile crimes can be held liable. Here’s one perfect primer published from Mindanao, the land that they say is Duterte country.
In the Tacloban City shooting, there was a third ingredient: an aunt who was a cop and who let her nephew borrow her police-issued Glock 9mm pistol, then a grandfather security guard who lent his .38 caliber revolver. The aunt was Miss Philippine National Police 2017 and was welcomed as a crowned queen by Bato dela Rosa in his Camp Crame office.
Rod, 15, and Nash, 14, both believed they had the right ingredients to kill like Tatay and then go scot-free even if shit happens.
But Tacloban was not isolated. In fact, it had a host of predecessors. A netizen in Iloilo City compiled the records. All came from verifiable sources.
September 2016: Vilma Cabactulan, a public school teacher at the Pedro N. Roa National High School in Cagayan de Oro City, was stabbed dead by her 15-year old student as she turned her back to the class. The teacher had admonished the boy for repeatedly using his mobile phone in class.
October 2018: Public school teacher Mylene Durante, 23 years old, was fatally stabbed by a 17-year old Grade 12 student inside the principal’s office at Oringon Elementary School in Pio Duran town, Albay. Because Oringon was a remote upland barangay, the teacher slept in the principal’s office with two Grade 6 female students who kept her company. After she was stabbed, she protected the two young girls by hiding them in a room. The two girls survived. Durante perished.
Police said the killing was a rape attempt as the killer had a crush on the teacher.
July 2019: A 15-year old Grade 7 student was shot to death inside his classroom at the Castor Alviar National High School in Calamba City, Laguna. The killer was a security guard who entered the school premises with construction workers. The victim had earlier filed a case of sexual abuse against the killer.
Under Sara Duterte’s watch as Secretary of Education (2022-2024), school killings persisted, despite her claim that recruitment to movements espousing violence was a concern addressed by her confidential funds.
January 2023: A 13-year old boy stabbed and killed his two schoolmates aged 15 and 16 outside the Cauayan National High School in Cauayan City, Isabela. The killer said he acted in self-defense as the two were constantly bullying him and had even beaten him up.
January 2023: A 15-year old student stabbed his classmate dead inside the hallway of the Culiat High School in Quezon City. The victim was 13 years old. The killer was apprehended.
April 2024: Jenny, 13 years old and in Grade 8, was walking to her school, the Banyaga National High School in Agoncillo, Batangas, when a gunman shot her in the head. She died at the scene.
Propagandists thought it was easy to exploit the Tacloban City shooting and say there was ZERO school shootings under Duterte. FALSE.
Duterte himself set the example when he shot his law classmate Octavio Goco. He never went to jail for it. That’s the real impunity, not the Juvenile Justice Law. But if it’s Tatay who says it, applause.
The views in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of VERA Files.
