Hontiveros to lead Senate probe on Tacloban school shooting

Trisha Matabalan, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
June 24, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Risa Hontiveros/Facebook)

PHILIPPINES – Senator Risa Hontiveros will be leading the Senate probe into the school shooting that occurred in San Jose National High School, Tacloban City, as the Senate Chairperson for Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. The Senate probe will be done on July 1, 2026, following the April 14 hearing on whether or not online gaming spaces are being used in order to groom, manipulate, and radicalize children.

“Ang paaralan ay hindi dapat lugar ng takot at karahasan,” Hontiveros said in a recent post on social media. “Schools are safe places and they should remain safe spaces at dapat manatili silang ligtas na lugar upang makapag-aral ang ating mga estudyante nang malaya at walang pangamba. Hindi natin hihintayin na magkaroon ng sunod pang biktima bago kumilos. Dapat makapasok ang bawat bata sa paaralan nang ligtas at makauwi rin nang ligtas sa kanilang pamilya.”

(“Schools shouldn’t be places of fear and harassment,” Hontiveros said in a recent post on social media. “Schools are safe places and they should remain safe spaces in order for our children to go to school freely and without worries. We will not wait until there’s another victim before acting. Every child should enter school safe and go home safe to their families as well.”)