• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has called on the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), public and private schools, the DepEd, and other concerned agencies, to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of gun-free school zones in the city.
There is also a need to conduct an immediate and comprehensive assessment and strengthening of campus security, access control, and emergency response protocols, including measures to prevent the entry of firearms and other deadly weapons into school premises, the SP stressed as it approved several resolutions authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito Aug. 19.
“The tragic shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School campus Aug. 18 highlights the need for educational institutions to be prepared to respond immediately and effectively to armed attacks and other serious security emergencies,” Distrito stressed.
Stronger coordination among the BCPO, barangays, schools, and other concerned agencies is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of existing firearm laws and security regulations in and around educational institutions, he added.
Distrito noted that the incident, happening less than two months after another fatal school shooting in Tacloban City, “underscores the urgent need for educational institutions and government authorities throughout the country to reassess existing security measures and strengthen safeguards intended to protect students, teachers, school personnel, parents, and visitors.”
He said that comprehensive security assessment should include, among others, adequate entry and exit controls, visitor management and identification procedures, security personnel deployment, CCTV systems, emergency communication and alarm systems, perimeter security, protocols for detecting and preventing the entry of firearms and other deadly weapons, evacuation and lockdown procedures, and coordination with police and emergency responders.
Schools must remain safe environments where children and young people can pursue their education without fear of violence, the SP said, adding that “preventive security measures should be continuously reviewed in light of emerging threats and changing circumstances.”
The SP also condoled with the victims, their families, the students, faculty, personnel and entire Ateneo de Zamboanga university community. “An act of violence occurring within a school, a place that should represent safety, learning, friendship and hope, is a tragedy that resonates with parents, educators, students and communities throughout the country.” | CGC
