PNP probes online activity, gun access after deadly South Cotabato school shooting

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 20, 2026

Photo courtesy: Jomil Ursal | Facebook

Philippines — Philippine authorities are investigating the online activity and access to firearms of the Grade 9 student behind the deadly shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, as education officials push for tighter campus security nationwide.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Saturday that investigators examining the student’s cellphone found notes referring to depression and evidence of extensive exposure to violent material online.

“Upon investigation, he was heavily into the deep dark web,” Remulla said during a briefing, adding that investigators were looking into online content they believe may have influenced the student.

The Philippine National Police is continuing to examine the student’s cellphone, gadgets, notes and other personal belongings to determine the circumstances leading up to the September 18 attack. Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators found heavy social media and internet activity involving violent content.

Authorities said two students were killed and eight others were injured in the shooting. The student who carried out the attack also died. Earlier reports from local agencies gave varying injury totals as information was still being consolidated.

Remulla said the firearm used in the attack belonged to the student’s father, an employee of the Department of Education. He said the father owned three licensed firearms and that the student was able to gain access to one of them despite the weapons being kept in a storage vault.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the father has been relieved from his post while authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Angara said the PNP will determine possible criminal liability, while DepEd will separately assess whether administrative violations were committed.

Authorities are also investigating indications that the attack had been planned in advance.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said messages found in a group chat showed that the student had previously told friends about plans to carry out an attack inside the school. Palencia said classmates had been warned before Friday’s shooting but apparently did not believe the threat would be carried out.

Angara, who visited Banga National High School on Saturday, said DepEd would seek assistance from the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of the Interior and Local Government in examining the student’s reported participation in an online “true crime community.” He stressed that the matter remained under investigation.

Following the attack, Angara proposed creating a Joint School Safety Task Force involving DepEd, the DILG and the PNP.

The proposed task force would conduct site-specific security assessments in public schools, including reviews of campus access controls, systems for reporting threats, emergency response procedures, and coordination with local law enforcement.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered DepEd, DILG and the PNP to investigate how a minor obtained and brought a firearm into the school and to submit recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents.

Meanwhile, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said Meta removed videos of the shooting that had circulated on its platforms and blocked accounts that shared the material following coordination with the government.

CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso urged the public not to repost graphic footage, warning that circulating such material could spread fear and potentially encourage copycat violence. The agency said its Threat Monitoring Center continues to monitor online content connected to the incident.

The DICT likewise called on the public to avoid sharing graphic images, videos, and unverified information about the attack, saying the privacy and dignity of the victims and their families should be protected while authorities complete their investigation.