By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is moving to contain the online spread of videos and photos showing the deadly shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) Junior High School, as authorities warn social media users against repeatedly circulating footage involving minors.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and other concerned units to monitor the circulation of the sensitive material and report its spread.
Nartatez said the incident demands restraint and compassion, particularly because children were among those involved.
“This is an unfortunate incident that should be treated with utmost sensitivity, especially that there were minors involved in the content,” Nartatez said.
The police chief appealed to the public to resist the urge to share or repost the footage.
“We appeal to everyone to refrain from sharing or reposting the videos and photos of the incident,” he said.
Nartatez warned that repeatedly exposing the public to the material could compound the trauma suffered by the victims and their families.
“These materials can cause further distress to the victims, their families and the public, and may also interfere with the ongoing investigation,” he said.
Police said the fatal incident involved a Grade 9 student who was carrying two pistols.
A Grade 10 student was killed in the shooting, after which the suspected shooter allegedly turned the guns on himself.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier confirmed that the suspect had livestreamed the incident through a social media account, raising further concern over the spread of the footage after the attack.
The PNP’s cybercrime personnel are now among the units tasked with keeping watch over online uploads and reposts.
Nartatez said the investigation will not stop with determining what happened inside the school.
The PNP is coordinating with the Department of Education to examine school security and look for possible measures that could prevent another deadly attack.
The Zamboanga shooting comes after a separate school shooting in Tacloban City on June 22 that left three students dead at San Jose National High School.
Nartatez said the similarities between the incidents must be examined.
“We have to dig deeper into this matter, especially that this is not the first time that this tragedy happened,” he said.
The PNP chief said investigators will look for patterns and identify interventions that could help prevent similar incidents from being repeated.
“Our focus is to check if there’s a pattern or identify intervention measures to prevent the repeat of this kind of incident,” Nartatez said.
While the investigation continues, police are appealing to the public to stop turning the tragedy into online content, stressing that responsible use of social media is part of protecting the victims and their families from further harm.
ia/xf
