Police probe bullying grudge after Tacloban school shooting kills three

A bullying grudge is emerging as the suspected trigger in a shooting at San Jose National High School that left three students dead and seven others wounded in Tacloban City, Leyte. Police said the attack unfolded around 9:00 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. and sent students and teachers scrambling for cover as gunfire tore through classrooms.

Two minors, ages 14 and 15, were taken into custody and both were students at the same school. Authorities said the boys were in Grade 9 and were close friends. Investigators are looking at whether a personal conflict tied to bullying pushed the pair to bring a 9mm Glock pistol and a .38-caliber revolver onto campus, along with dozens of spent shells found at the scene.

One police official said the bullying may have started as far back as Grade 7, though that remains under verification. Police also said one suspect had posted violent, gun-related videos on social media, a detail now being treated as part of the warning signs that may have been missed before the attack. Officials are also examining how the weapons were obtained and carried into the school.

One report said the Glock pistol had been issued to a policewoman assigned to Police Regional Office 8, who is reportedly the aunt of one suspect and is now under investigation. The other firearm was reportedly registered to a security agency in Cebu. Police have not said whether either weapon was used by permission or taken without consent, but they are tracing the chain of custody.

The victims were mostly Grade 9 students. Reports said the dead included two girls and one boy, while seven wounded students were later described as being in stable condition. Some early tallies suggested as many as 10 people were affected when injuries from gunfire and panic were counted, and one report initially put the number of injured at 13 before it was updated.

Witnesses described scenes of fear and confusion inside the school. One teacher said he told students to hide under desks after hearing the gunfire. In a country where school shootings remain rare, the attack has sharpened concern about how bullying, mental health, online violent behavior and campus security intersect long before a weapon is fired.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation, while the Department of Education said it was gravely concerned. The Philippine National Police said it would work with education officials, local authorities and social welfare agencies to tighten school security and protect the peace of mind of students, teachers and parents.

The case has also renewed scrutiny of bullying in the Philippines. An OECD report cited in coverage found that more than half of Filipino boys and 43% of girls reported being bullied at least a few times a month, a rate well above the OECD average. The shooting has exposed not only a campus security failure, but a wider system that too often leaves warning signs to harden into tragedy.