Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. Photo from Office of the Chief PNP/Facebook
The Philippine National Police has pledged support for the Department of Education’s school safety campaign following the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Nartatez said Friday that police units would assist DepEd in efforts to protect students, teachers, and school personnel.
He said regional and local police offices had been directed to coordinate with education officials, conduct security assessments, and strengthen police presence near schools.
Nartatez said police units were also instructed to support intelligence sharing and threat monitoring to prevent possible security risks on campuses.
The move followed Monday’s shooting in Tacloban City, where two minors, aged 14 and 15, opened fire inside the campus.
Three students were killed while at least 20 others were wounded in the incident.
The two minors were placed under police custody before they were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
DepEd launched a nationwide review of school safety measures on Thursday, including existing security policies and funding for equipment, while the PNP said its presence around schools would focus on prevention, community engagement, and quick response.