Screen grab from AdZU Facebook page.
Ateneo de Zamboanga University is introducing stricter security measures following the August 18 campus shooting that killed two students and injured others.
Beginning Monday, vehicles entering the campus will face more thorough inspections, while identification checks and controls at entry and exit points will be tightened. Visitor access will also be subjected to closer scrutiny, according to university president Fr. Ernald Andal.
The security changes came after investigators examined how the student involved in the attack allegedly brought two firearms onto school grounds. Police said the weapons had been kept inside the family vehicle that transported him to campus.
Authorities said one of the firearms was a Glock pistol issued by the Bureau of Customs to the student’s father, while the second was a privately licensed gun belonging to him. Investigators have been looking into how the firearms were stored and accessed before the shooting.
The incident also exposed possible weaknesses in the university’s security procedures. Police said vehicle screening had primarily involved visual inspections, while the student allegedly entered through a ramp for persons with disabilities instead of passing through the regular security checkpoint.
AdZU is now planning longer-term upgrades, including additional surveillance cameras in classrooms and corridors, expanded real-time monitoring and more metal detectors and X-ray machines at selected pedestrian entrances. Visitor reception and holding areas are also set for improvement.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier directed authorities to thoroughly investigate the shooting and examine measures to improve safety in schools. The Bureau of Customs also ordered an accounting of agency-issued firearms and a review of policies governing their safekeeping.
AdZU officials are scheduled to hold a forum with parents on Tuesday to discuss concerns arising from the shooting and the university’s response. The school is also awaiting the police investigation report as it reviews additional measures to strengthen campus safety.