18/08/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
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The Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition (SKC) expresses grave alarm and profound outrage over the recurring incidents of violence penetrating our educational institutions. Following closely on the heels of previous campus tragedies, todayโs heartbreaking loss of young lives at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University is a stark and painful reminder that our schools are increasingly vulnerable to systemic security failures and deepening mental health crises among the youth.
We refuse to accept a reality where classrooms, which are sacred spaces meant for liberation, innovation, and shared futures, become grounds of terror and grief. The rising frequency of these incidents demands more than temporary expressions of sorrow; it requires an uncompromising, systemic response from the state, civil society, and educational institutions alike.
In response to this alarming escalation, the Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition urgently calls for:
1. ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐ผ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐ค๐๐ค๐ก๐จ: We demand an uncompromising inquiry into how fi****ms breach campus perimeters. Educational institutions, in coordination with law enforcement, must re evaluate and enforce stringent, rights respecting security frameworks to prevent unauthorized weapons from entering school grounds.
2. ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ: Violence in schools is frequently a symptom of deep, unaddressed psychological distress. We reiterate our call for the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and local government units to mandate fully funded, accessible mental health professionals, peer support networks, and counseling services in every school campus nationwide.
3. ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐ฃ ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ: We urge lawmakers and safety councils to tighten enforcement mechanisms against the proliferation of illegal fi****ms and re examine protective architectures surrounding youth spaces to curb the normalization of violence.
Our generation cannot continue to mourn victims of preventable tragedies. The Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition stands resolute in demanding systemic reforms that guarantee every Filipino student a secure, nurturing, and genuinely safe environment to learn and lead.
Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition
[email protected]
August 18, 2026