GOVERNMENT agencies tasked with protecting children and young people are pushing for stronger coordination on school security, firearm access, psychosocial support and early intervention following the deadly shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato.
The September 18, 2026 attack, which authorities said involved a Grade 9 student, left three students dead, including the alleged shooter, and six others wounded, according to the latest report.
Earlier accounts released as the incident was unfolding carried different casualty figures, prompting authorities to caution the public against relying on unverified information.
The incident has placed renewed attention on how schools, families, local governments and national agencies can identify threats involving minors, prevent firearms from reaching school campuses and provide immediate assistance to children exposed to violence.
The Department of Education (DepEd) said the safety of learners, teachers and school personnel remains its foremost concern as authorities continue to establish what happened.
“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers, and school personnel. We are closely coordinating with the Schools Division Office, Regional Office, local authorities, and law enforcement to verify the circumstances and provide necessary assistance,” DepEd said in a statement.
The agency said it was prepared to provide psychological first aid and mental health and psychosocial support to those affected by the shooting.
It also urged the public to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information while the investigation is underway, stressing that the safety of every learner and member of the school community remains its foremost priority.
DepEd's response comes as the agency has been strengthening school preparedness against active threats and other emergencies. On September 3, it launched nationwide simultaneous school safety drills, alongside measures involving school entry and exit protocols, police visibility and coordination with local authorities.
Warning before shooting
The circumstances leading to the attack are also being examined, including an account that the student allegedly warned classmates shortly before the shooting.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia told Super Radyo dzBB that, after lunch, the Grade 9 before shooting
The circumstances leading to the attack are also being examined, including an account that the student allegedly warned classmates shortly before the shooting.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia told Super Radyo dzBB that, after lunch, the Grade 9 student allegedly told some friends to go home because he was going to do something and they might be caught in it.
“May isang estudyante na nagsabi sa kaibigan niya na after lunch, ‘dapat mag-uwi na kayo, kasi meron akong gagawin after lunch. Baka madamay pa kayo’. Yung mga classmate niya, nagtawa, akala niya, linoloko lang sila ng shooter (One student told his friend, ‘You should go home after lunch because I have something to do after lunch. You might get caught up in it.’ His classmates laughed, thinking he was just fooling around with them),” Palencia said.
The mayor said the student later left his classroom and opened fire in an adjacent classroom while its adviser was reportedly away.
Palencia also said the student carried a 9mm firearm and two magazines before allegedly shooting at other students and later turning the weapon on himself.
The warning, if established by investigators, raises questions about whether students and school personnel have sufficient and accessible mechanisms for reporting threats or alarming statements made before an incident.
It also highlights the difficulty of distinguishing an actual threat from a statement dismissed as a joke, particularly in a school environment where thousands of students interact daily.
Palencia said the classmates who heard the warning did not initially believe the student was serious.
Firearm access under scrutiny
Another major focus of the investigation is how the student obtained the firearm.
Palencia said the weapon belonged to the student's father, an employee of the Department of Education in Region 12, and had been kept in a vault.
“Yung papa niya, shooter din. At saka empleyado ng DepEd Region 12. Kaya ‘yung baril, tinatago sa vault, sinira ng bata ‘yung vault at saka dinala ‘yung baril sa eskwelahan,” Palencia said.
Palencia also said the student's mother told him that her 14-year-old son had destroyed the vault where the Glock 9mm pistol was kept. The mayor withheld the identities of the student and his father while the investigation was ongoing.
The firearm's ownership and storage have consequently become part of the broader discussion on responsible gun custody, particularly when firearms are kept in households with children.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation into the shooting, including how a minor was able to obtain a firearm and bring it inside the school.
The House of Representatives has also moved to strengthen firearm safeguards following the incident, including proposals dealing with safe storage and unauthorized access to guns.
DSWD mobilizes social workers
While police and other authorities investigate the circumstances of the attack, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has focused on the immediate welfare of the affected children and their families.
DSWD-Soccsksargen Regional Director Loreto Cabaya Jr. went to the area to coordinate with the Banga local government and other agencies responding to the incident. The department said its social workers were deployed to assist affected families.
“Ang DSWD ay lubos na nakikiramay at nakikiisa sa pamilya ng mga biktima at sa buong komunidad ng Banga kasunod po ng nangyaring shooting incident,” the department said.
The DSWD added that it was ready to provide assistance to affected families.
“Psychosocial support and psychological first aid will be given to all affected individuals to help them cope with the trauma, grief, and distress during this difficult period,” the department said in the statement supplied by the agency.
The department's response is particularly significant because the effects of a school shooting extend beyond those physically wounded. Students who witnessed the attack, classmates of the victims, teachers, parents and other members of the school community may also require psychological and social support.
DSWD officials said assistance would be coordinated with the local government and other concerned agencies as the affected families recover from the incident.
Online activity also investigated
Authorities are also looking into reports concerning the student's online activity.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said police were examining information linking the student to an online group described as a “True Crime Community.” PNA reported that Tamayo cautioned against drawing conclusions while the investigation remained ongoing.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), meanwhile, said videos of the shooting that circulated online were taken down through coordination with Meta.
CICC Executive Director Renato “Aboy” Paraiso said:
“Sa patuloy na koordinasyon ng CICC sa Meta, agad pong na-takedown ang mga kumalat na video ng insidente sa kanilang social media platforms, habang mabilis ding na-block ang mga account na nagbahagi ng nasabing material.”
Paraiso warned that continued circulation of the material could worsen fear and confusion and potentially contribute to copycat violence.
“Ang pagpapakalat ng ganitong content ay maaaring magdulot ng higit na takot, kalituhan at posibleng magbigay ng inspirasyon sa copycat violence,” he said.
The CICC also encouraged parents and guardians to monitor children's online activities, particularly their use of gaming applications, messaging functions, online communities and private chats.
However, authorities have not established that the student's reported online activity caused or directly led to the shooting. Investigators are still examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Beyond the school gate
South Cotabato Gov. Tamayo emphasized the role of parents and communities in protecting children following the attack.
“No parent should lose a child due to violence, especially if it happened inside the school campus. The school is a place where our children should be safe,” Tamayo said.
“As parents and members of the community, we should work together to protect our children,” he added, urging parents to talk with their children about school activities and their involvement in social media and other online spaces.
The shooting also follows two other deadly school-related shooting incidents reported in the Philippines this year, including the June attack at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City and the August shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
DepEd had already called for calm and verification of information following the Banga incident, while its Soccsksargen office separately urged the public to stop circulating videos of the attack to protect the privacy of victims and their families. DEF
