by Miriam Desacada Tacloban City– House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan is pushing Congress to act on three fronts after the fatal shooting of three students at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22: tighter limits on minors’ social media use, a review of the juvenile justice law, and an end to the severe shortage of licensed guidance counselors in public schools. “We Cannot Ignore This Anymore”Libanan said the tragedy should force lawmakers to ask if current laws and policies are still enough to shield Filipino children from harmful online content and extreme violence. “We cannot ignore the possibility that unrestricted exposure to harmful online content and violent digital communities may be influencing vulnerable young minds,” Libanan, former chairman of the House Committee on Justice during the 13th Congress, said in a June 28 statement. “Congress, together with our internet regulators, should seriously study reasonable restrictions on social media access for minors, consistent with our Constitution and the protection of children’s welfare,” he added. The lawmaker cited Australia, which banned children under 16 from holding social media accounts under one of the world’s strictest online safety laws. “We should explore whether similar safeguards may be appropriate here in the Philippines,” Libanan said. Revisiting the Juvenile Justice LawLibanan also called for a review of the “discernment” standard under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, as amended. Under current law, children 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability. Those aged 15 to 17 can be held criminally liable only if they acted with discernment. “Congress has a responsibility to undertake a careful and evidence-based review of our juvenile justice law. We must continue protecting children while ensuring that our legal framework remains responsive to exceptionally grave offenses,” he said. “Prevention Must Be Our First Line of Defense”Libanan urged Congress and the Department of Education to confront the country’s shortage of licensed guidance counselors. During 2026 budget hearings, Education Secretary Sonny Angara told the House Committee on Appropriations that DepEd needs more than 50,000 counselors to meet the international standard of one counselor for every 250 students. The country currently has only 4,069. “Every public school should have adequate access to professional guidance counselors who can identify behavioral problems early, provide timely intervention, and help prevent violence before lives are lost. Prevention must always remain our first line of defense,” Libanan said. He also called on CHED and DepEd to encourage qualified teachers to earn master’s degrees in guidance counseling or psychology through scholarships, career incentives, and other support programs. The Tacloban ShootingOn June 22, two Grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, allegedly opened fire inside classrooms at San Jose National High School. The attack killed three students — two aged 15 and one aged 14 — and wounded 20 others. Both suspects remain under the custody of the DSWD in a government rehabilitation facility as legal proceedings continue under the Juvenile Justice Law. by Miriam Desacasa Please share Post navigation EASTERN VISAYAS LAWMAKERS SCORE HIGH IN TRUST, PERFORMANCE, AND REPRESENTATION
