Malacañang has responded to Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks suggesting that the recent shooting incident in Tacloban City reflects a failure in government intelligence gathering and threat detection.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro pushed back against the Vice President’s statement, questioning the implication that students should be subjected to surveillance in the name of intelligence monitoring.

“Hindi terorista ang mga estudyante,” Castro said, emphasizing that the victims and individuals involved in school-related violence are not security threats but minors who require protection.

Castro stressed that the government’s priority should be addressing the root causes of violence in schools rather than expanding surveillance on students.

She also cited past incidents of violence during previous administrations, arguing that such cases demonstrate the broader and long-standing nature of the problem.

Castro questioned whether earlier incidents were prevented through intelligence measures, including a 2019 shooting inside a school in Calamba, Laguna involving a 15-year-old student, as well as a 2016 bombing incident in Davao City and another attack targeting security personnel.

“Bakit hindi ito kaya nakita sa intelligence report?” Castro asked, referring to past violent incidents.

She further criticized what she described as a focus on criticism without offering concrete solutions, urging the Vice President to propose actionable measures instead.

“Magaling naman po yata siyang mag-puna, pero walang solusyon na nagbibigay. Sana magbigay siya ng solusyon,” she added.

Castro also underscored that many of the incidents involved minors and non-terrorist actors, making blanket surveillance proposals inappropriate.

“Hindi po ba dapat… mga estudyante, mga menor de edad, hindi terorista,” she said.

The Palace official concluded by calling for more constructive discourse on public safety, particularly in addressing violence in schools, while urging public officials to be mindful of the implications of their statements.

The exchange follows heightened public concern over school safety after the recent Tacloban City shooting incident, which remains under investigation by authorities.