By Betheena Unite
Malacañang dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s assertion that the Tacloban school shooting exposed lapses in intelligence gathering, stressing that the suspects were students, not terrorists.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Clair Castro said in a briefing on Tuesday, June 23, that intelligence monitoring should not be directed at students.
“They are not terrorists, they are students who reportedly became addicted to violent online games,” Castro emphasized.
The Palace countered Duterte’s remarks that the tragedy reflected the government’s failure to identify threats before lives were lost.
Castro argued that similar incidents in past administrations were not prevented by intelligence reports, citing a 2019 classroom shooting in Laguna and attacks in Davao during Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency.
Castro underscored that while tragic, such incidents involving minors cannot be equated with terrorism.
“There are situations that cannot be completely avoided, especially when it involves students and minors,” she said.
Malacañang maintained that the Tacloban shooting should be viewed in the context of student welfare and behavioral issues, not as a terrorist act requiring intelligence surveillance in schools.
