đź“·: Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has relieved from his post the father of the alleged Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School shooter, following the fatal campus attack that left two students dead.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno confirmed that the father, district commander of the Port of Zamboanga Enforcement and Security Services, was removed to allow an impartial probe into possible negligence in handling his issued firearm.
“He had nothing to do with his son’s alleged shooting. This is a tragedy for their family. But accountability comes with being issued a firearm,” Nepomuceno said, noting that Customs officers were coordinating with the relieved personnel.
The alleged perpetrator, a Grade 9 student, reportedly used a pistol and rifle in the attack Tuesday morning, killing a Grade 10 student, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio, meanwhile, called for comprehensive care for students and families affected by the tragedy, and demanded a congressional inquiry into systemic failures that allow school violence to persist.
Tinio stressed that the incident reflects systemic failures in school support infrastructure, not isolated criminal behavior.
“The Zamboanga City tragedy exposes chronic understaffing, and inadequate psychosocial support in Philippine schools. Public schools like the one in Tacloban City face shortages of 150,000 teachers and 160,000 classrooms nationwide, while thousands lack guidance counselors, nurses, and support personnel.,” he said.
Tinio extended his deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and to the entire school and community, echoing the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines in condemning the continuing occurrence of violent incidents inside schools involving young people.
“Manifestasyon ng kultura ng karahasan na pumasok sa ating mga paaralan ang patuloy na pagkakaroon ng mga mararahas na pangyayari sa loob ng kampus. Normalisado at itinanim sa isip ng maraming kabataan ang kultura ng karahasan dahil sa mga extrajudicial killings ng mga nakaraan at kasalukuyang administrasyon. Pati na din ang patuloy na karahasan at panunupil sa mga taong naghahangad ng pananagutan at paggalang sa karapatang pantao,” Tinio said.
Tinio rejected punitive and security-centered responses, warning that increased policing and surveillance would treat schools as war zones rather than learning communities.
Instead, he called on Congress to investigate systemic factors contributing to school violence, including inadequate funding, overcrowding, and broader social conditions that normalize violence among youth.
He also raised alarm over how children can gain access to firearms, calling for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible for this grave failure to safeguard young people. # (RRN)
