Bohol representative Kristine Alexie Tutor has called on Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to increase funding for the cybercrime units of key government agencies following the deadly attack at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City and an alleged foiled attack against Tolosa National High School in Leyte.
Tutor said the recent incidents highlight the need for stronger government capabilities to detect and respond to online threats targeting schools and young people before they escalate into acts of violence.
“The mass casualty incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban and the aborted attack against Tolosa National High School in Leyte should mark a turning point in our national response to online threats against schools,” she said.
According to the lawmaker, while gun-related violence has occurred in Philippine schools in the past, the Tacloban incident was the country’s first mass-casualty attack in a school. Previous incidents typically involved only a single victim, whether a student or a teacher.
Tutor urged the president to direct the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assess the resource requirements of their cybercrime units and coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to provide additional funding where legally permissible.
“We need more cyber investigators, digital forensic specialists, analysts, and advanced cyber threat monitoring capabilities to identify and stop violent threats before they become real-world attacks,” she said.
She also proposed that every credible online threat of mass violence against a school automatically trigger a joint threat assessment involving the DICT, PNP, NBI, school authorities, and the concerned local government unit.
“No school should be left to assess these threats on its own. Every credible threat must be treated as real until proven otherwise,” Tutor said.
Beyond cybersecurity measures, the lawmaker appealed to the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) to deploy quick response teams to Tacloban, Tolosa, and other areas where serious youth-related violence has occurred.
She said the agencies should establish multidisciplinary teams and designate assessment, treatment, and referral facilities for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICLs) involved in violent crimes, as well as for child victims of such incidents.
Tutor also called on members of the country’s cybersecurity community to support government efforts.
“I also appeal to cybersecurity professionals, digital forensic experts, ethical hackers, and other members of the country’s cyber defense community to assist the DICT, PNP, and NBI. Their expertise can help save lives by identifying warning signs before violence occurs,” she said.
